DotHack: Penance
by Renfro Calhoun
Summary: As Kite and company foil the efforts of the thieves online, Dean wakes from an apparent coma to find himself in the middle of another heist, this one of the AI that governs and protects 'The World'. Sequel to Relapse. Finished closing comments added
1. Catching Up

.Hack: Penance   
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text or writing], {email domains}. This is a direct sequel to Relapse, using characters and events already established; I will do my best to summarize such things herein and keep the story self-contained, but I still recommend checking out the preceding Relapse and Heist. Towards that end, I apologize if this first chapter is a little wordy :)  
  
I also apologize for it being late. FFXI owns me :/  
  
As before, this is a story told from two points of view – that of the detective, Dean, and of the player of Kite, Hiroshi. However, there are two things to be aware of: the story starts from Hiroshi's perspective this time around, and the two halves do not run parallel each other; Dean's half takes place after Hiroshi's half. With all that said, kindly read and enjoy, and drop a comment if you're so inclined. I loves me a good comment.  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Silent Hill 3 OST – End of Small Sanctuary  
  
Chapter 1 – Catching Up   
------------------------------  
  
(So this is what peace and quiet feels like.)  
  
Sitting alone in his bedroom, before a computer, Hiroshi calmly clicked through link after on-screen link, news headlines and game reviews flashing by his eyes faster than he could read them. Above, his bedroom fan whirred soothingly, stirring the air as it blew upwards through a floor vent.  
  
Several key words caught his attention, if only briefly: words like 'Cyber Connect,' 'The World' and 'cyber-terrorism'. Words he had come to know quite well in the past year. Words that all too readily involved him.  
  
Cubia was gone. The Wave itself, whatever it was, had been soundly vanquished by his own two hands, ending the crisis in 'The World' with the aid of his partners, the hacker Helba, the administrator Lios, and even Aura.  
  
(Aura...)  
  
Perhaps Morganna, the AI responsible for all the problems of 'The World', had been destroyed once and for all, perhaps it had merely been reprogrammed or banished somehow. The digital, ghostly Aura had served her purpose, Hiro knew that much; most of the explanation had been lost to jubilation that it was finally over; 'The World' was safe, and its players could be free to play the game without the fear of being harmed in reality. He had a lifetime to work out the details in his head.  
  
He smirked, and couldn't help but think how trivial it all seemed in retrospect, how such a catastrophe had been averted simply by being good at a video game, of all things. The boy had done his best to dispel any illusions about what he had done – the only world he saved was a digital one, he told himself, if only to keep from seriously pondering the ramifications of what he had done.  
  
Earth had seen Deadly Flash and Pluto Kiss tear the internet asunder, cause worldwide panic and even death... yet it was still here. Hiroshi suspected that even had Morganna escaped the confines of 'The World', that life would go on, one way or another. He didn't want to stop to think about the chaos that she could have caused, more for the sake of his sanity than for any concept of modesty.  
  
The burden of another life – beyond that which he had stayed in 'The World' to save – was more than the 14-year-old was ready to bear, and yet in his heart and mind, he knew he had done just that.  
  
("Make no mistake, my young friend... you did something heroic today. Maybe you didn't save all 10 billion of us, but you got your friend back, and so did a damn lot of other players. You did a good thing, Hiro man. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.")  
  
The voice in his head was not his own; a later conversation had put much in perspective, from a man Hiroshi had grown to trust and care for as any of his friends, online or offline. His relationship to the private investigator Dean Stollis was complicated to say the least: a former police officer, discharged and jailed for taking bribes, Dean had come to town with a small team of thieves and attempted to steal data from Cyber Connect, with the help of a hacker from 'The World'.  
  
That hacker being Kite, the Twin Blade whose identity Hiroshi assumed on a daily basis.  
  
Dean held no falsehoods about what he was doing, willingly acknowledging the wrong he was doing and had done, including his attempt to deceive Kite into helping him. Yet he, too, had been deceived; the very data he sought to find was an anti-hacker program, which – in a fashion similar to the Phases Kite had fought time and again – hijacked the character of one of the thieves, sending its player into a coma. Cyber Connect followed up by sending a pair of assassins after Dean and his team, and the program had set its sights on Kite, and his partner BlackRose.  
  
It was only through their combined efforts that Cyber Connect was stopped; Kite and BlackRose destroyed the program to stop it from harming others, and Dean killed the agents and erased the data, ensuring that none others could be made.  
  
BING  
  
A 'new mail' notification interrupted Hiroshi's browsing-slash-reminiscing, and with a click of the mouse it was opened.  
  
[From: Stolls {theworld.com}  
  
To: Kite {theworld.com}  
  
Subj: Treasure Hunting  
  
Hey man. You got a minute? I'm doing some treasure hunting, there's field with a boss monster on Sigma server that's giving me a hard time. Trying to get my hands on some stat books, this one's supposed to have a couple on him. Lemme know if you're interested.  
  
- Dean]  
  
Hiroshi smiled; the detective had taken quite a liking to 'The World,' especially after the destruction of the Wave, when it was safer to do so.  
  
As Kite, he had bumped into the Wavemaster Stolls – Dean's character – several times in the course of his adventure, particularly during an incident just months ago that threw him on the path of Morganna, and more specifically her creators. Fragments of an AI implanted in the game by Harald pointed towards tampering with Morganna's programming, and a real- world investigation by Dean revealed the same.  
  
The exact revelations were lost to Hiroshi's memory – something about foreign governments being involved in the construction of Morganna and her application in 'The World' – but he knew enough to know that, once again, Dean and he had settled the matter, at least to the extent that it was out of their hands.  
  
He dragged the keyboard closer to him, and started to type, all the while thinking that it was high time he started enjoying the game too.  
  
[From: Kite {theworld.com}  
  
To: Stolls {theworld.com}  
  
Subj: Re: Treasure Hunting  
  
Sounds like fun! I'll be right there :)  
  
-H]  
  
-  
  
A gentle chime accompanied the transition, golden rings sealing the deal as The World became visible around him. The stone street stretched for several hundred feet before winding between nearby buildings, which were dotted with windows that occasionally shone with light from the inside. Lampposts lined the street as it fed into a bridge connecting the commercial district and the Chaos Gate.  
  
Above, the sky was dark, yet lit up brilliantly with thousands of stars, tiny pinpricks of light poking through the inky blackness. Around him, hundreds of players ran this way and that, attending to their own business, chatting, trading... the usual happenings in the Root Towns, and Carmina Gadelica was no different.  
  
Kite gazed around him in wonder, having nearly forgotten what the cultural city looked like when it wasn't being eaten away by a virus, with ugly splashes of code replacing textures and surfaces, and the very sky cracking and breaking away into nothingness.  
  
He couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride in knowing that he had played a part in saving this. He smiled again at his own character flaw; even with pride, he was modest, refusing to acknowledge, even to himself, that he had done more than 'played a part'.  
  
"Hey Kite! Over here!"  
  
The words weren't spoken, but Kite was close enough for the text bubble to be visible. He left the spinning Gate and stepped onto the bridge, spotting a silver-haired Wavemaster in a black robe, wand in one hand and casually resting on his shoulder.  
  
Kite waved as he approached. "Hi, Stolls!"  
  
Stolls grinned. "Hey man," the text bubble said; the magician's mouth moved, but no words could be heard. "Sorry, the mic on my headset's not working. I have to use the keyboard."  
  
"I see," Kite said with a nod. "It's okay. So where's this boss you were talking about?"  
  
"Nothing serious," Stolls silently replied. "Kind of a souped-up giant ogre, it's in Sigma server. I might've been able to handle it myself, but the thing was on me before I could snap off a spell. If you've got some time, I could use a hand."  
  
"All right, let's do it!"  
  
A message appeared in the top left corner of his HUD, denoting a party invitation from Stolls. A push of a button answered the affirmative, and at the bottom of the 'screen', the Wavemaster's face and statistics appeared next to his.  
  
"Think we'll need anybody else?" asked Stolls.  
  
Kite looked around for a moment. "Well, BlackRose said she wouldn't be on tonight... I could try Sanjuro or Ryoko... then again, it is kind of late."  
  
"Ah, skip it, we'll just go together. You ready?"  
  
After a quick check of his inventory, the Twin Blade nodded the affirmative. "I'm ready. Lead the way."  
  
The silver-haired magician obediently took the lead, jogging over to the Chaos Gate with his companion in tow. An unseen command from the Wavemaster summoned golden teleport rings over both, spiriting them away from the Lambda root town. In its place formed the massive parapets, stone towers, and emplaced cannons of Fort Ouph.  
  
"Now, let's see," Stolls typed, facing the Gate once again. "What were those keywords..."  
  
"Hey, isn't that the guy? Over there!"  
  
"Who, the Wavemaster?"  
  
"Yeah, that's him! Excuse me, Mr. Stolls!"  
  
Kite watched as Stolls disengaged from the Gate, and turned around to face a trio of adventurers as they raced up to him – two Blademasters and a Long Arm, all garishly dressed and sturdy in build, their weapons and armor expensive and powerful-looking.  
  
"Yes?" asked Stolls, shifting his gaze between the three.  
  
Kite noticed the Long Arm glance at the Blademaster to his left, and heard him mumble "Are you sure this is the guy?"  
  
"That's what he just said, isn't it?"  
  
"Sorry to bother you," said the lead Blademaster, a striking brunette woman in shining silver armor, with a faint blue hue to the polished metal. "Are you aware there's a man looking for you on this server?"  
  
Stolls blinked, peering oddly at the swordswoman. "Looking for me? Who?"  
  
"We're not sure," piped up the Long Arm, a pale young man with a patch over one eye and short, wavy red hair. "We never got his name. It was some guy wandering around Perceived Lifeless Fort Walls, but it wasn't a regular player."  
  
Kite joined the conversation. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I think it might have been an event character," explained the male Blademaster, armed and equipped similarly to his female counterpart, but with a shorter, wider sword and slightly more angular armor. He reached a hand up and scratched an itch within his spiky blue hair, his face marred with confusion. "It didn't look like any character class I knew of; looked like just a regular guy, he had on dark clothes."  
  
Kite glanced up at Stolls. "Why would an event character be looking for you?"  
  
The Wavemaster shrugged, his eyes shifting to stare off into the distance. "I'm not so sure. Maybe we should check it out. Do you mind?"  
  
A shake of his head dispelled Stolls' concern. "No, not at all. Let's go see this character."  
  
"You should be careful," warned the Long Arm. "He looked pretty mad. He said you took something from him, and he wanted it back."  
  
Stolls drew his head back, recoiling in shock. "Eh?? That certainly doesn't sound like me... well, might as well go see what this clown wants. Anyway, thanks for the warning. We'll go have a look-see." He turned to Kite. "You ready?"  
  
"I hope so," the Twin Blade answered.  
  
Waving goodbye to the other party, the two detectives turned towards the Chaos Gate, and Stolls resumed punching in keywords. Within seconds, both were gone.  
  
- End of Chapter 1 


	2. Point of Entry

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text or writing], {email domains}. Ahh, it feels good to be back. And with that in mind, happy 4th of July, everybody! :)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Rush – Test for Echo  
  
Chapter 2 – Point of Entry  
-------------------------------  
  
The rings faded, as they had thousands of times before, crossing his body to seal his transportation from one area to another; in this case, a barren wasteland of earth and rock, with unusual stone formations and the occasional cactus-like plant to break up the monotony.  
  
Kite scanned the horizon, watching for unopened fields; he'd guessed, and correctly, that the party before him and Stolls had cleared the area top to bottom, slain every monster and gathered every treasure. At least, that's how it looked.  
  
The Wavemaster was thinking similar thoughts. "Well, least we don't have to worry about monsters... not that the level is high here, anyway."  
  
"Right. That means we can look for that man," said Kite. "They said he was dressed in dark clothes... maybe he's near the dungeon."  
  
"Well, he's bound to find us sooner or later, I think we're the only ones here. Let's check out the dungeon anyway."  
  
The Twin Blade fell into step behind Stolls, keeping close enough to spring forward and protect the Wavemaster if necessary. He noticed Stolls constantly scanning the area, eyes wide with concern.  
  
(He's worried,) thought Hiroshi. (I can't even imagine who this guy is, or what he wants...)  
  
Dry earth was crushed under heavy boots as the two strode through the arid plains, whistling wind and minute background music the only accompaniment to their progress. Every now and then a small stone would tumble here or there, blown to one side by a strong gust of wind and briefly setting their nerves on edge.  
  
As they reached the dungeon entrance, Stolls suddenly stopped. "Hmm... I don't know, I don't think we should go any further. This doesn't feel right," he 'said', his voice still absent.  
  
Kite glanced over at his companion. "Yeah, I think so too. This seems kind of strange... even if it is an event character."  
  
The two took another appraisal of their surroundings, scanning in vain for anything out of place. "I should've asked where they found him," Stolls mused with a frown.  
  
The Twin Blade strained his ears, hearing very little aside from the air itself. "Hmm," he mumbled, just barely audible. After a half-minute of listening, he turned back to Stolls and shrugged. "I don't think anybody's here."  
  
"Well, that just sucks," said Stolls in what Kite could only assume was a tone of dismay. "Should we try the dungeon?"  
  
"Maybe... huh?"  
  
A quiet clop caught their attention, the sound of leather hitting earth; a footstep that put both on edge.  
  
Before Kite could say anything, a Private Message from Stolls flashed across his eyes.  
  
[From: Stolls Someone's here. Sounded like it came from the other side of the entrance. Fan out, but don't get too far away. And don't make too much noise.]  
  
Kite silently acknowledged the instruction with a nod, and adjusted his stance accordingly; he began to circle the perimeter of the entrance, walking heel-to-toe to stay quiet. From the corner of his eye, he saw Stolls doing the same, sneaking away from the entrance, his head shifting left and right in anticipation.  
  
Slowly, the Twin Blade rounded the structure, hands tightly clasping his weapons. He heard another footstep, and then another; his teal eyes were fixated on the edge of his vision, body tensed and ready to strike.  
  
Suppressing the urge to cry out, Kite wordlessly leapt out of his stealthy posture and charged the rest of the way around the structure, blades at the ready. Spotting no target, he released a long-held breath and took another in its place. "Nothing," he said softly.  
  
Calmly, yet cautiously, he made his way back to the front, and saw Stolls in the distance, carefully poking his head – and staff – around a blind corner of a stone arch. The lack of noise or text told Kite that the search was fruitless, and the look on the Wavemaster's face confirmed this as he turned around.  
  
"Don't see 'em." Stolls shrugged. "Maybe he gated out?"  
  
"I heard more footsteps over there," said Kite as he approached, "but when I looked, there wasn't anybody there."  
  
"This area's pretty wide open." The magician's chest rose and fell, his lips parted in an unheard sigh. "He could be anywhere. Hell, we could be jumping at shadows."  
  
Kite was more reluctant. "I don't know, I still think he's nearby... maybe he thought you'd be coming alone."  
  
"Could be."  
  
Footsteps challenged their ears, hasty and rapid; past a distant stone totem, Kite distinctly saw a human-shaped figure fleeing, quickly disappearing behind yet another rock formation.  
  
"Over there! Let's go!"  
  
Kite charged at full speed towards the figure, followed closely by Stolls. As he neared, he could see trails of dust lingering in the air, as if whoever it was had recently passed by, and in great haste.  
  
(I knew I wasn't hearing things,) he thought. (Let's find out who... or what this thing is.) As they neared, he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was, it was watching them, and closely.  
  
"Stop!" shouted Kite. A heartbeat later, Stolls called out as best he could, broadcasting "Come out and show yourself!" on the 'shout' channel, ensuring at least that it would be seen by anyone in the area.  
  
As before, the two split up upon reaching their target, this time circling around the column of stones simultaneously. They rejoined only to find each other, and no trace of their stalker.  
  
"Damn it! Where did he go?" Stolls grimaced, glancing up, down and all around. "This guy's fast..."  
  
"Aaahh!"  
  
Someone – or something – landed behind them with an unceremonious THUD; whirling around, Kite spotted a glimpse of the man, hunched over and knees bent from having leapt off the top of the rocks. He was dressed entirely in black, slacks and a long-sleeve shirt covering much of his body, with a pair of dark sneakers on his feet. Even his hair, which was short and sharply cut, was black.  
  
(Sneakers?) thought Kite. (What the hell?)  
  
"Hey, you!"  
  
The man didn't even bother to look back as Stolls trained his wand on him, dashing off with surprising, though not inhuman, speed. The Wavemaster hurriedly invoked a paralysis spell, but to no avail; the man in black kept running, without ever looking back.  
  
"Wait!" called Kite, breaking into an open stride in pursuit. Behind him, he heard Stolls join the chase.  
  
The black-garbed man kept up his pace, clearly running for all his worth; he weaved back and forth between large rocks, under towering arches, and around spiky green lumps of vegetation. However, Kite was not so easily lost, keeping close track of the runner despite his evasive maneuvers.  
  
Over the loud footsteps and stiff gusts of wind, Kite heard the man panting, gasping for air. Again, Kite was puzzled, though only briefly as he tried to keep up.  
  
Rounding another clump of rocks, the man in black disappeared from view; Kite quickly scurried around the rocks, but muttered in confusion when he couldn't spot his target.  
  
"He just vanished," muttered the Twin Blade. "What the hell is going on?"  
  
A scuffling of shoes preceded the answer; Kite whirled around to see a clump of dirt – with a hand attached to it – sailing towards his face. The dirt collided hard with his face, sending dozens of particles into his eyes.  
  
"Ahh!" he cried out; though there were no physical effects, Kite's vision was temporarily blackened. At another time, he would have remembered the update announcement which permitted monsters – and players – to be able to more thoroughly interact with their surroundings, including for combat purposes.  
  
Right now, he didn't even have the time to notice he'd been struck again, a sharp blow to his stomach doubling him over and sending him to the ground in a crumpled heap.  
  
Hiroshi instinctively flinched and yelped in surprise; again, he was spared from the physical damage of the blow, but his avatar was briefly stunned, and he could do little but struggle to his feet and blink repeatedly until the dirt had cleared from his eyes. For a second he sensed that the man was standing over him, and then with a shuffling of footsteps he was gone.  
  
"Kite!" called Stolls, his text bubble visible through his momentary blindness. "What happened? Where'd he go?!"  
  
The Wavemaster scrambled up to his teammate, helping him to his feet. His vision clear, Kite hastily looked around, stamping his foot in irritation when he failed to spot his assailant. "He's gone..."  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Stolls. "What happened?"  
  
"He blinded me," explained Kite, stooping down to recover the blades he had dropped in the scuffle. "I'm okay, but I think he got away."  
  
"Damn it," grumbled Stolls – at least, Kite guessed it was in a less-than- pleasant tone. "All right, the hell with this. I'm done playing this guy's game. Let's get out of here and come back when we've got a full party."  
  
"Good idea," Kite replied. "This guy is really fast. He's like those goblins."  
  
"Yeah... maybe he had a speed charm or something. In any case, let's get going."  
  
Sheathing his weapons, Kite nodded. "I'm ready."  
  
Stolls paused where he stood as he cycled through an unseen options menu and selected the log-out button. Before he could click 'yes,' however, he was stopped by Kite, who suddenly pointed to the ground and said, "Wait, look at that!"  
  
Slightly off-put, Stolls cocked his head at the Twin Blade. "What is it?"  
  
Kite knelt down, examining the ground near where he had fallen, vaguely marked by a human-shaped imprint in the loose, dusty earth. His eyes were fixed on a spot just over a foot away from where his head had landed.  
  
There, written lightly in the dirt, was a single word, a name: [Hiroshi]  
  
Kite could feel his blood turn to ice, his heart stumbling over a few beats. He cocked his head back at Stolls, a worried expression in his eyes, before turning to the prior object of his attention.  
  
"Kite?" called Stolls, following the boy's gaze to the name in the dirt. "What... is that...?"  
  
"He knows who I am," whispered Kite. (He was after Stolls... and he knows me, too... who is this guy? And what does he want with us??)  
  
"Shit..." The Wavemaster looked around nervously, taking a defensive posture as he stepped closer to Kite. "I think we'd better leave... now."  
  
"Me too," said Kite, rising to his feet. "Let's go. I think this guy is after both of us now."  
  
Stolls didn't bother to reply before exiting the field, teleport rings encasing both of them.  
  
For a moment – just long enough for his mind to wander – Kite was plunged into darkness as the field fell away and the Root Town began to load, ready to appear in its place.  
  
(Is this something to do with Cyber Connect? Delphi, or Harald, or anything?) he thought. (Who would be angry at Dean, who would also know who I am in the real world?)  
  
A facsimile of rushing wind ruffled his clothes and hair as some unseen barrier was penetrated. The world around him became visible again, the rings appearing and subsiding as Fort Ouph appeared beneath his feet.  
  
"Well, that was a bust," remarked Stolls from his right, facing the teal- haired fighter.  
  
"What do you think we should do now?" asked Kite.  
  
He replied with another phantom sigh, and then added, "I don't know... that didn't seem any event character I've ever heard of. I think this might warrant some further investigation."  
  
"I think so, too."  
  
Stolls rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "For now, though, I suggest we both keep away from that field. Since he was waiting for us there, maybe he can't leave." His eyes narrowed. "I can tell you this much, though; he's dangerous, and clever too. Until we find out what it is we're dealing with, don't go there without me. Got it?"  
  
Kite nodded. "I won't, don't worry. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll see what I can find out about this."  
  
"Right." Stolls glanced over at the Chaos Gate, worry etched in his expression. "Well, I have a few things to take care of offline. I'll catch you later, Kite."  
  
With a brief exchange of waves, the party disbanded; Stolls faded from view as he logged out, and Kite was quick to follow suit.  
  
The World was wrenched from around him, replaced by a flat, lifeless menu screen; a push of the 'exit' button, and Hiroshi was back at his desktop, prying a blank visor and headset off of his spiky black hair.  
  
A glance at his computer clock refreshed his memory: almost 6pm, dinner less than a half hour away. Despite the sudden rumbling of his stomach, he found himself with another concern on his mind, and a single thought persisted amidst a sea of bad memories, things he had told himself were long behind him.  
  
(Is it really over?)  
  
- End of Chapter 2 


	3. Haven't We Been Here Before?

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts belong to Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens after Quarantine, before the Clear Game stuff. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. I was really hoping to get this up on Friday... stupid work draining me of my will to get things done on time! -whines- Anyway, as punishment, I shall be completing Chapter 4 in short order. Stay tuned :)  
  
Edit: GodDAMN does Fanfiction . net formatting suck! Now it deletes email domains (and anything else) because a period is between the domain name and the 'com'. The only way to not lose them is to space it out, as shown. Grrr...  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Foo Fighters – Times Like These (acoustic)  
  
Chapter 3 – Haven't We Been Here Before?  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
He punched the glowing buttons on his phone almost from memory, taking only a moment to glance at a slightly faded business card and ascertain the number. An electric warbling simulated the traditional ringing of a telephone, twice, then twice again.  
  
After a quiet click, a deep, yet cheerful male voice answered. "Hi, you've reached Dean Stollis. I'm not in, leave a message."  
  
The line beeped, and Hiroshi sighed. "Dean, it's Hiro," he said. "My connection's down, so I won't be able to get online today. I'm gonna go see Yasu; if you find out anything about that guy, send it to his account, okay?" He paused, giving room to enunciate the address. "Orca at The World dot com. Maybe he can help us out, too."  
  
He looked out his bedroom window, the clear blue sky beckoning to him from above the surrounding houses. He stuttered for a second, forgetting he was on the phone. "A-anyway, take care, Dean. I'll see you tomorrow!"  
  
Setting the phone back on its base, Hiroshi pried his sock drawer open and dug through it, smiling as he produced a thin leather wallet, which he quickly pocketed. He then snatched up a cheap digital wristwatch from the top of a nearby dresser, and turned to leave.  
  
(Wonder how he's doing today,) thought the black-haired boy, leisurely strolling down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. As he passed an archway leading to the kitchen, he called out, "I'm going over to Yasu's, mom! I'll be back before dinner!"  
  
He barely heard her acknowledge the statement as he slipped on a pair of worn, comfortable black-and-gray running shoes, which complimented his navy slacks and blue t-shirt. A twist of a brass handle provided him with an exit from the house, and he casually strolled down the porch, closing the door behind him as he headed out to the street.  
  
The trip from his house to Yasuhiko's was nothing short of automatic, every step of the journey, every inch of sidewalk and grass memorized; all that differentiated this one from the last was the timing of stoplights and the circumstances of his visit.  
  
Predictably, Yasu had successfully been roused upon the destruction of the Wave, and the end of the bizarre events that had plagued 'The World', events which had put him in a coma for well over eight months. Hiroshi remembered, all too clearly, how his friend had wasted away, lying dormant in a hospital bed, a mere shadow of his former self.  
  
The thought sent a chill through the boy's body, even amidst the pleasant warmth of the daytime sun. He stuffed his hands further into his pants pockets and continued walking.  
  
More pleasant thoughts were soon to follow. (He'll be okay, now... they said he still needs time to recover, but he's come so far in just weeks. I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon.)  
  
His eyes swept the neighborhood, a middle-class suburb within walking distance of the Yokohama prefecture; a few other pedestrians milling about, parents tending to the yard their children played in, a car or two passing by every now and then. The very picture of peace, something Hiro hadn't had enough of until recently.  
  
An eyebrow crooked at the sight of a car with tinted windows rolling down the street, its driver seemingly without a care in the world. The peace was shattered only for a moment, yet it was a moment too long. The boy's suspicions lingered on long after the end of the crisis, and – if recent events were any indication – not without merit.  
  
Hiro shook his head. (Jumping at shadows,) he chastised himself. (Am I going to be worried every time a car like that passes by? Or every time I see a man in a suit? Come on, Hiro, get a grip.)  
  
He was quick to calm himself, and resumed his nonchalant stroll down the sidewalk, rounding the corner leading his friend's street. (Besides,) he thought, (Lios helped us win back then... yeah, they wouldn't be after me. I'm just imagining things.) A second later, he smirked and added (Of course, that's usually the part when someone jumps out and grabs the guy, isn't it?)  
  
Chuckling to himself, he stopped in his tracks and turned slowly in a complete circle, watching with faux-wariness for any potential hostiles, and he chuckled again when he found none.  
  
Not bothering to dignify his actions with thought, he turned back on course and headed down the street; his destination, a red-bricked household, a flowerbed partially framing the small yard before it. The windows were wide open, as were the ornate tan curtains and matching blinds.  
  
Hiroshi strolled up the driveway, past a parked red SUV and to the front door. He gave the bell a gentle push, and then folded his hands behind his back as he waited for a response.  
  
He didn't wait long. The door creaked as it was opened, revealing a kindly looking middle-aged woman, her dark hair up in a bun and graying around the edges, a pair of glasses framing her hazel eyes.  
  
Mrs. Kugara smiled warmly at Hiroshi, barely two inches taller than he. "Hiro, hello! How are you today?" she asked, stepping back and gesturing for the boy to enter.  
  
Hiroshi returned the smile, slipping out of his shoes at the entrance before stepping any further into the small foyer. "I'm fine, thanks. How have you been?"  
  
Motioning for him to follow, she lightly strode down a short hallway into the kitchen; a sweet, chocolatey scent touched at Hiroshi's nose as he trailed behind her, prompting him to unconsciously lick the inside of his lips.  
  
"Quite well, thank you... everyone's doing much better, especially Yasu. He's been eating much more lately; it's the first time I've ever been glad to see him put on some weight!" Laughing softly to herself, she added, "but yes, we're all doing fine. He was looking forward to seeing you today, actually."  
  
"I see... I do have a few other errands to run, but I wanted to stop by and see how he's doing."  
  
With her back to him, Mrs. Kugara nodded, busying herself with a boiling kettle on the stove. "I think he'd like that. He's said quite a bit about you, you know... all those visits while he was in the hospital must have done wonders for his spirits."  
  
He watched her pour a dark, steaming liquid into a pair of porcelain coffee mugs. "Well, I just wanted to do what I could to help," said Hiro, knowingly oversimplifying his role in the affair. He'd long since convinced himself it would be in his best interest not to cash in on his 'hero' status, even if it only really applied while in 'The World'. "And I'm glad he's doing so well." A grin snuck onto his face. "He used to take up so much of my free time, I didn't know what to do with myself while he was out."  
  
Briefly he wondered if the joke would go over well with Yasu's mother, all things considered; his concerns were unfounded, however, when she turned around, still smiling. In her hands were two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, which she offered to Hiroshi.  
  
"Why don't you take this up to him," she politely instructed, "and you two can catch up or do whatever it is you boys need to do."  
  
"Will do," was Hiroshi's quick reply as he gingerly took the mugs from her hands. "Thanks!"  
  
She nodded gently to him, and turned back to the stove as Hiroshi cautiously crept upstairs, keeping the mugs in balance; mercifully, the door to Yasuhiko's room was open, and he stepped through with a cheerful "Hey, Yasu!"  
  
From the bed, Yasuhiko sat upright, grinning broadly. The player of Orca looked nothing like his digital counterpart, his face and body slim, though now by choice instead of consequence. His wavy black hair looked recently cut, just long enough to be visibly parted on the left. Adorning his frame was a simple white t-shirt and jeans combo, both loose enough to prove that Yasu had lost a sizable amount of weight while comatise.  
  
"Hiro!" exclaimed the boy.  
  
Handing one of the drinks to his friend, Hiroshi grinned back. "Hey, Yasu. Your mom says you're not getting enough caffeine," he said with a wink.  
  
Yasuhiko laughed, pulling his legs up to allow room for Hiroshi to sit. He took a tiny sip from his mug of chocolate, letting his lips warm up to the steaming liquid before daring to drink a drop of it.  
  
"So, how are you feeling?" asked Hiroshi, taking a sip from his own cup.  
  
"Better," said Yasuhiko, nodding for emphasis. "A lot better. I'm not so tired anymore, and the doctor says I should be back to normal in a few weeks."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
"Yeah, but mom doesn't want me playing 'The World' too much anymore," he said with a sigh. "At least not 'till I'm better... I think she knows it had something to do with..." he trailed off, his eyes darkening.  
  
"...yeah," muttered Hiroshi, finishing the sentence in his mind. "I'm... really sorry, Yasu..."  
  
Yasuhiko blinked, tilting his head slightly. "About what?"  
  
"About all this, I-I don't know... everything, I guess." Hiro gestured towards the nearby desk, where a computer sat, covered in a thin layer of dust. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I still wish I could've done something sooner... maybe we could've found a way to stop this before... it happened."  
  
Yasu offered a dismissing wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm okay, everybody's okay... really, you did a good job, Hiro." A glint of humor flickered in his eyes. "For a newbie," he added.  
  
Hiroshi couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I suppose so. Thanks, Yasu."  
  
"I should be thanking you, I think." He paused, taking a long sip of the chocolate, which had cooled just enough to drink. "So anyway, what've you been up to? Do you still play?"  
  
Hiroshi nodded. "Actually, that's kinda why I'm here. I had something I wanted to ask you."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Throwing a look at the computer, Hiroshi hesitated, tumbling the phrasing of the question in his mind. "I think there's something else going on in the game."  
  
Yasuhiko blinked, sitting up straighter. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Yesterday, I... well, I ran into a friend of mine, a Wavemaster I met a while ago, and... we went to this field, where someone said a man was looking for him." He drank lightly from his mug, and continued. "When we got there, we found him, but he got away from us, and it wasn't a normal player."  
  
Watching with noticeable interest, Yasu leaned forward, listening closely. "Okay..."  
  
"He was dressed all in black," explained Hiroshi, "but it was normal clothes, like in the real world."  
  
"Maybe it was a special monster? Event character or something?" After a beat, he asked, "what was it called?"  
  
"I didn't see," said Hiroshi with a shake of his head. "He wasn't close long enough for me to target him; he blinded me before escaping. But the thing is, when it wore off, I found that..." he swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. "He had drawn my name in the ground. My real name."  
  
"What?!" Yasuhiko quietly exclaimed. "How would he know that? Did you know him?"  
  
"No... at least, I don't think so. I never got a good look at his face," admitted Hiroshi. "He seemed to know both of us – me and Stolls, the Wavemaster."  
  
"So what did you guys do?"  
  
"Well, he escaped into the dungeon, and we left after that. Stolls is trying to find out more on him, I told him to send everything he found to you," he said, indicating the computer with a nod. "I was hoping that maybe you could help us out?"  
  
A small smile appeared on Yasuhiko's face. "I think that's the least I owe you."  
  
"Thanks," said Hiroshi, smiling back. "I think we'll need all the help we can get."  
  
"Have you talked to anyone else about this?"  
  
Hiroshi raised his free hand, ticking off the names on his fingers. "Well, there was the party that told us... I sent an email to BlackRose last night... oh, and I also called for a GM, but I'm still in a waiting queue." He sighed. "With my connection down, it'll probably be a while before I get to speak with one."  
  
"I see... is it all right if I forward anything this guy tells me to Balmung?"  
  
"Mm!" Hiroshi snapped his fingers. "Balmung, right! I thought I forgot someone. Yeah, that's fine, he might be able to help us too."  
  
"Cool. We'll get to the bottom of this," said Yasuhiko, with more than a hint of confidence.  
  
"I hope so."  
  
-  
  
From: BlackRose {theworld . com}  
  
To: Kite {theworld . com}  
  
Subj: Fwd: Pl--5- -e1- -e  
  
I got your mail, and this came a few minutes later. It has your name on it, but I can't make the rest out. Anyway, I'll be on later if you need me. You realize this is another you owe me, right? :-) -BR  
  
Original message: Forwarded from "----"[unknown sender]  
  
Kite,   
I--- m-! --- the -an -- -l---!   
T--t ---'- -t-l--, th--'s an -mp---e-   
They ---- h--, ---g----.   
D--'t ----- hi-!   
--a-  
  
- End of Chapter 3 


	4. Destination Unknown

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens after Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. And now, because I was a lazy bastard on Friday, I'm gonna be extra-productive on Sunday. Sorry for all the cliffhangers, but it's so easy to do, and it's such a wonderful substitute for actually providing answers and, you know, interesting writing! /me cackles maniacally.  
  
Anywho, I think you'll enjoy this, even if it feels a little rushed. And for those of you trying to decipher the email... all I ask is that you pay attention. Pay close attention. The clues are there :)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Tantric – Live Your Life (Down)  
  
Chapter 4 – Destination Unknown  
-----------------------------------------  
  
"See you later, Mrs. Kugara!"  
  
Hiroshi caught a glimpse of her waving as he stepped out the front door, and stopped long enough to wave back. He made his way down to the sidewalk and began following it home, his shoes scraping against the concrete with every step, a telltale sign that his mind was elsewhere.  
  
(He seemed a lot better,) thought the boy, stuffing his hands in his pockets. (Maybe this time we can work together to find out what's going on.)  
  
Denying his own concerns wasn't on the agenda; he knew that there were risks, even if he didn't know what they were. There would be no Skeith, no Morganna, no Data Drain, but he didn't even try to convince himself that the thing, the man he had encountered was less dangerous than anything he had faced. Whether it was or wasn't more dangerous in fact, it was still something he didn't quite understand.  
  
(And that's why it's dangerous,) he concluded silently. (Because I don't know anything about it.)  
  
His feet carried him around a corner, chasing his own shadow, cast before him by the sun at his back. To his right, a police car calmly cruised down the street, driver with one hand on the wheel and the other comfortably resting on the door.  
  
(Dean didn't send anything to Yasuhiko before I left. Guess I've got some time... if only I had something to do.)  
  
He half-smiled; visiting his friend had been one of the only things he did offline that didn't involve school, with most of his spare time spent in 'The World'. Most of his friends were either not involved, or in the game itself but anonymous to him in real life. All this had left him with quite a surplus of free time when the Wave had finally been destroyed, and not enough people with whom to spend that time.  
  
The taste of chocolate on his lips did little to distract him from thinking about one friend in particular.  
  
(BlackRose...)  
  
The pink-haired Heavy Blade hadn't been online much in the past few weeks; he figured that she had matters of her own to tend to, what with her brother Kazu and all. Though she didn't yet occupy his every waking thought, he found himself more than slightly taken with the strong willed, yet kindhearted and even sensitive girl who had taken it upon herself to find out what happened to her brother, as Hiroshi had for his friend.  
  
Despite that their personal troubles all but forced their paths to intersect, he had grown to like and care for her, whose help he was certain he couldn't have done without, a feeling he knew she shared. She was more than just a set of statistics to fill a party, or a level treadmiller obsessed with getting stronger or acquiring loot – both of which came readily to Kite, consequently making him a rather popular fellow as of late.  
  
They were partners. And friends.  
  
(Things should be back to normal in a few months,) he told himself. (Then maybe we can...)  
  
(Can what?) his thoughts countered. (Come on, what is it you'd like to do?)  
  
(Spend more time with her,) he answered, forcing himself to add, (maybe... meet her in the real world?)  
  
It wasn't the first time he wanted to do so, and lack of effort had been the least of their problems; in both instances where he had hoped to meet the player behind BlackRose, things had simply gotten in the way – online and offline.  
  
(So, now what? Do I have to wait until we sort whatever this is out too?)  
  
(I guess we'll have to wait and see,) he replied to himself. (But still, perhaps someday... someday soon...)  
  
His mind was brought back to her most recent email, one where she had – seemingly in jest – implied that she was falling for Hiroshi (or was it Kite?) The notion itself gave him pause, and despite that she claimed to be kidding, he couldn't help but ponder the idea, already questioning how he could possibly understand the emotion at his age, or how he would know if that even applied to what he and BlackRose shared – two companions, two friends, who had never even so much as seen each other's faces.  
  
Nonetheless, the slight flush to his ears and cheeks told a different story.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Movement caught his attention; he stopped on the sidewalk in front of his house, spotting a white van rolling out of the driveway. On the side of the van was the logo of a telecommunications company, the providers of his Internet service.  
  
He grinned. (All right, guess I won't have to worry about free time today.)  
  
Hiroshi jogged up the front yard to his front door, prying it open and passing through in one fluid motion. "Mom, I'm home!"  
  
"Welcome home," called his mother from the adjoining room. "You're just in time to help me set the table!"  
  
He groaned quietly as he slipped out of his shoes and strolled through the arch, the thick aroma of a hearty stew greeting his nose. To his right, the half of the room that served as the kitchen; his mother was hunched over a huge pot as she took a taste of its contents. As he watched, she nodded to herself and resumed stirring.  
  
"How were the Kugaras?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Hiroshi.  
  
"Pretty good," he said as he ambled over to the nearest cabinet, opening it and removing two large bowls. "Yasuhiko's doing a lot better now, and they said he'll be fully healed in a couple weeks."  
  
"That's good news." Another taste, this time followed by a dash of salt.  
  
Hiroshi deftly set the bowls down on the nearby dining table, which occupied the other half of the room; he followed up with napkins, spoons and glasses, and politely excused himself.  
  
As he left, he heard her say, "Oh, right, the repairmen were just here. Our connection should be up now."  
  
"I saw their truck in the driveway," said Hiro in acknowledgement. "Hope it stays fixed this time."  
  
Continuing his trek up the stairs, Hiro entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him, then sat down at his desk and booted up his computer. True to their word – if the repairmen had indeed given their word, which he suspected was implicit – the connection was live, and after his desktop appeared the first thing to greet his eyes was a 'new mail' notice.  
  
-  
  
From: Stolls {theworld}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: SitRep  
  
Hey man. Got your message, but haven't found out anything yet, least nothing solid. I did chat with an admin about it, but I forgot to log the event and he said that nothing looked out of the ordinary with the server. Guess we're back to square one :-(  
  
I know you probably won't get this tonight, but I'll do my best to keep you posted, and if you find out anything, drop me a line.  
  
-  
  
Hiroshi sighed. (No response from BlackRose... and now Dean's hit a dead- end, too.)  
  
"Oh well," he thought aloud. "Maybe I'll just go through a dungeon tonight. Not like I have any idea where to begin investigating... or maybe if I get a full party myself..."  
  
He propped his head up on his hand, elbow on his desk, and stared at the desktop, watching nothing in particular. After a few minutes, the screen went black for a second, and was replaced by an aquarium-themed screen saver, colorful fish and sea creatures swimming this way and that.  
  
A sudden wave of fatigue washed over his body, and his head started to droop. Recalling how he had tossed and turned the night before, he covered his mouth with his free hand and gave a soft yawn. He nudged the mouse gently, and the screen saver vanished.  
  
With an absent mind, he found his way to The World's message boards, and began browsing the various topics; his eyes caught the version upgrade which mentioned more thorough environment interaction, and he managed a quiet "hmm" when he noticed a paragraph that explicitly described how, in some cases, a player could use nearby objects or even the very ground to fight off a monster, and vice versa.  
  
Still more topics; he noted one by the goblin Stehoney, who made a big show about the fact that the Goblin Tag event was being reset, to allow for more distribution of the rare equipment they offered. Hiroshi cringed, remembering the untold number of speed charms, sleep scrolls, and various other status-affecting items he had had to use to even the odds between him and the goblins.  
  
(I don't think I've ever even used any of the goblin equipment... it's probably still in my locker.)  
  
A minute later, a familiar voice floated up the stairway, slightly muffled through his bedroom door. "Hiro, dinner's ready!"  
  
"I'll be right there, mom!" he hollered back, exiting the message board and heading back to the desktop.  
  
Before he could stand up, a familiar chime indicated the arrival of new mail. Eagerly, he cracked open his email client and opened the most recent message.  
  
-  
  
From: Terajima Ryoko{theworld}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: Tonight  
  
Hello, Kite. Are you going to be busy this evening? If you'll be online tonight, I was wondering if I might join you? I made a mistake at a Spring of Myst, and now I need to upgrade my axe again; would you mind helping me?  
  
-  
  
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. (A mistake at a spring?) he wondered. (I thought she had gotten used to the game by now... well, I'll help her out after dinner.)  
  
Making a mental note to reply later, he closed the email and scampered away from the desk, heading downstairs to his waiting meal. He picked up the glass at his seat, and carried it over to the counter next to the refrigerator, opening it and digging through it for a bottle of soda.  
  
"You know," said his mother as she brought the now-full bowls of soup from the stove to the table, "I got a call from your father today."  
  
Hiro threw her a look, but continued to retrieve the bottle. "Really?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise. He uncapped the bottle and filled his glass. "How was he?"  
  
Setting the bowls down carefully, she answered, "He's doing all right... he's in New York now. He says all the news is about some scandal in Washington."  
  
Thinking back to his most recent adventure with Dean, Hiroshi had a hunch what she was talking about. "I heard about that."  
  
There was a brief silence between the two as Hiroshi sealed and put away the bottle of soda, then carried his drink back to the table. Upon sitting down, his mother said, "He said he misses you... he misses us."  
  
He swallowed, looking up at her. "And... what did you say?"  
  
Dipping her spoon into the broth, she avoided his gaze. "I told him we missed him, too."  
  
Hiroshi let out a mumble of approval, and followed suit, taking a hesitant bite from his bowl of stew.  
  
The rest of the meal passed just as silently, the only noises that of lips smacking, metal and porcelain clinking, and the stove vent churning. The thick, flavorful liquid meshed with the taste of several miscellaneous vegetables – he picked out carrot, celery and potato – as it coursed down his throat and settled comfortably in his waiting stomach.  
  
He was almost grateful for the silence, which left him alone with his thoughts. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't have too many moments like this in the near future.  
  
- End of Chapter 4 


	5. Timely

.Hack: Penance   
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts belong to Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. Sorry if this chapter seems kinda slow. In my effort to curb my tendencies towards cliffhangers – and to build up conflict between certain individuals you may be able to guess – there will be a notable sparseness of plot here. But fear not! As last week, more is coming, and quite soon – as in, sooner than Monday night :)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Mad at Gravity – Find the Words  
  
Chapter 5 – Timely   
-----------------------  
  
The whiteness of her outfit greeted him before her voice; he spotted her in the middle of a nearby bridge, and strode past the parapet towards her, returning the smile she bore.  
  
"Hey, Ryoko!" called Kite as he joined the axe-wielding warrior. Her weapon stood taller than she, loosely clasped in her right hand, casting a light shadow over the rest of her body. Her dress, slightly out-of- character for a heavy melee fighter, was of a pure white, lined with lace and matched in color by her gloves and boots. Framing her short, blonde hair was a shiny, golden halo, flanked by a pair of angelic wings which sprouted from her upper back.  
  
Everything about her suggested a demure demeanor, which was only reinforced by her soft, sweet tone of voice. "Good evening, Kite. I'm glad you could come. How are you tonight?"  
  
"I'm fine, thanks. And how are you?" he asked. "You said you needed help with your axe?"  
  
"Yes, well... it was a little foolish of me," she meekly began, averting her eyes. "I went to a Spring of Myst to upgrade my axe, but when Monsieur appeared, my hand slipped, and I selected the golden axe by mistake." To emphasize this, she lifted her weapon an inch or so, and Kite finally noticed that it was, in fact, a golden axe; a commonplace and fairly weak weapon.  
  
"I see. So you lost your other axe... have you picked up another one at the shop yet?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, it's in my inventory. I'm sorry to have to ask, but... will you help me upgrade it again?"  
  
"Sure!" he replied, opening a menu and firing off a quick party invite, which Terajima was quick to accept. Her portrait and stats appeared next to his, and together they left for the nearby Chaos Gate.  
  
"The Springs only upgrade weapons on fields with certain conditions," thought Kite aloud. "I don't know which ones, but it always happened on fields that ended with 'Sea of Sand.'"  
  
They came to a stop at the gate, and Kite semi-consciously punched in keywords to generate the field; Ryoko stood close by, patiently waiting for the teleport sequence to begin.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
She answered with a quiet "Mm-hmm," and a nod. Seconds later, both vanished from sight as the rings engulfed them.  
  
They reappeared in a sprawling desert, sands shifting beneath a burning sun, a slight haze in the air causing the horizon to shimmer. Rock formations and cacti dotted the area, and nearby loomed the gaping maw of a huge, dead sandworm – a creature so large that its innards formed a dungeon of sorts.  
  
"Let's see... ah, there's the Spring," said Kite, pointing in a direction that only looked arbitrary. "Let's go!"  
  
With Kite in the lead, the two dashed to the east, sand shuffling beneath their boots. The path was mercilessly clear of portals, although some monsters had apparently spawned outside of them; a handful of animate weapons and armor floated by in the distance, looking dangerous but giving no indication that they had spotted a target.  
  
Reaching the Spring, Kite stepped to one side and motioned for Ryoko to proceed. Her golden axe disappeared for a moment as she seemingly removed another axe from thin air and daintily tossed the massive weapon into the shimmering pond, where it splashed loudly and sank instantly to the bottom.  
  
In a flash of sparks and light, a teardrop-shaped creature appeared, composed entirely of water and with a goofy-looking smiley face on its 'front'.  
  
"Did you lose a golden axe?" Monsieur asked, his voice rising to a high pitch, almost cracking. "Or, was it a silver axe?" An unheard answer from Ryoko prompted it to speak again. "Whaaat? Neither one?"  
  
As the water spirit went through its typical routine, Kite casually turned away and eyed their surroundings, watching for monsters. He noticed several odd shapes twisting and weaving on the horizon, thanks in no small part to the waves of heat coming off the sand; passing the shapes off as architecture of the field, he made no effort to think further about them.  
  
"It worked!" exclaimed Terajima, causing Kite to face her. She held her new axe up high, with a long, white handle and a garish bronze-colored blade that nonetheless looked capable of cleaving through a few inches of steel.  
  
Kite smiled. "How many more times do you need to upgrade it?"  
  
"I need one more level," she said. "Would you mind if we went to another field?"  
  
"Not at all! C'mon, we'll go now."  
  
The two quickly gated out of the desert, and reappeared at the Chaos Gate in Fort Ouph. Kite effortlessly opened the field menu, again inputting random keywords, save for the last one, which he knew was guaranteed to land them in yet another desert – with another Spring of Myst which would be able to upgrade the weapon.  
  
The rings came once more, depositing them in a field remarkably like the last one, with the notable difference that monster level was quite a bit higher here.  
  
With a frown, Kite noted that their target was on the other side of the map; using a Fairy's Orb, he further discovered that six portals lay between where they stood and the Spring. Though Ryoko and he were far higher in level than the field, he didn't feel up to fighting through so many just to make it there.  
  
"Is something wrong?" asked Ryoko, looking with concern at Kite.  
  
"Oh... it's nothing." Kite shook his head. "Just a lot of portals. Would you mind if we rode a grunty there?"  
  
"I'd like that." She bowed her head slightly. "Please."  
  
The Twin Blade sheathed his swords and deftly removed a wooden flute; he inhaled deeply, and blew into the instrument, fingers playing out a short tune. In response, a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon, quickly growing closer.  
  
"Mon ami!"  
  
The words almost echoed in the sunlit sky, reaching their ears long before they could actually see the finely-dressed cow-like beast running towards them. Golden curls flailing madly in the wind, the Noble Grunty skittered to a stop before them, posing proudly, its tail wagging back and forth.  
  
Kite hauled himself up onto the saddle, straddling the grunty's back. He then offered a hand to Ryoko, who awkwardly attempted the same, squeezing onto the seat behind Kite; she slung her axe over her shoulder, her dress forcing both legs to one side.  
  
"Hold on!" shouted Kite, grabbing the reins and giving the animal a light kick.  
  
The Noble Grunty snorted and began to buck as it took off, bouncing comically with every step across the scorching sands. The same stone structures and desert plants of the last field were present here, too, and passed by them blindingly fast as the grunty ran.  
  
Although recent upgrades had ensured that a grunty could not toss off its rider, Terajima couldn't help but feel nervous, bouncing along with Kite on the beast's back; she silently wondered whether that rule applied only to the player who had raised the grunty, and not any additional passengers.  
  
A sharp jolt nearly threw her off the saddle – or at least felt as such – and she instinctively leaned forward and looped her arms around Kite's waist, holding on tightly.  
  
Kite detected the intrusion into his space, and the sides of his face grew warm; though he couldn't actually feel her, he could almost sense her body molding to his, her head just above his shoulder as she watched their surroundings appear and disappear.  
  
(She's just holding on,) he thought, which didn't stop his heart from beating a little faster.  
  
He wasn't given much time to dwell on the subject, as the Spring soon appeared on the horizon, and was reached shortly afterward. The grunty slowed to a halt, and Ryoko released her hold on Kite and slid off the side onto the ground, pausing to adjust her dress; Kite swung his leg over and did the same, dismissing their mount with a wave of his hand.  
  
"Farewell, mon ami!" squealed the grunty in its faux-French accent. It then scampered off into the distance, vanishing over the horizon.  
  
Weapons in hand, Kite and Ryoko approached the spring, and Kite deferred to the Axewoman as before. "Go ahead."  
  
As she threw her axe into the pond, a sudden burst of static cut across Kite's vision, startling him. "Huh?"  
  
Ryoko turned away from the pond – which had since been graced with a visit from Grandpa – and peered at Kite. "What is it?"  
  
"Did you see that just now?" asked the teal-haired boy, pointing vaguely at the air.  
  
"I didn't see anything unusual," was her reply. "What did you see?"  
  
Offline, Hiroshi lifted a hand from his controller, knocking at the side of his visor. "I don't know... maybe it's just my display."  
  
Looking puzzled, Ryoko quickly finished her conversation with Grandpa and retrieved her axe, now a level higher. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she rejoined him.  
  
"I think so," said Kite. After a beat, he followed with, "Yeah, it's fine. I think I'm just seeing things."  
  
She nodded, and cheered back up. "Well, thanks for helping me, Kite!"  
  
"I didn't do anything," he said modestly. "You did all the work. All I did was call the grunty."  
  
"Yes, but..." she hesitated, reaching a hand up to lightly clasp the amulet dangling around her neck. "It was still nice of you to come with me." She bowed her head once more. "Thank you very much."  
  
Kite felt the flush return to his ears, and grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. "You're welcome, Ryoko. Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yes, I'm ready."  
  
Before he could open a menu, static again flashed briefly across his field of vision, blacking out even his heads-up display for a moment. "What the..."  
  
"Kite?"  
  
He saw Terajima staring oddly at him, and shrugged. "It happened again. Maybe I should log off and check my visor."  
  
She pursed her lips, looking around cautiously. "Do you... do you think it's..."  
  
Hiroshi could almost guess what she was about to ask. "I don't see how it could be," he said through his avatar. "You're not seeing anything, are you?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Hmm... yeah, it has to be my visor. I'll check it out after we leave."  
  
He heard Ryoko mumble something affirmative as he brought up the appropriate menu and issued the 'gate out' command. The system obeyed, calling up the same teleport rings that had brought them to the field.  
  
When they could see again, the aerial city stretched around them, with even more players running this way and that as 'The World' hit peak usage hours.  
  
A familiar chime rang in one ear, indicating the arrival of new mail. He faced Ryoko, who was smiling at him. "Well, I'm going to log off for now," he said, not entirely sure how he had helped the girl, but glad regardless to have had her company. "Do you need anything else before I go?"  
  
"No, I think I'll be fine from here," she answered. "Thank you again, and take care!"  
  
"Yeah, you too!"  
  
-  
  
From: BlackRose {theworld}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: Want to check it out?  
  
I saw you were online; did you get my email earlier? What did you make of the one I forwarded you?  
  
The boards are down right now, but earlier tonight there was a post about another strange character, this one at Delta: Hidden Corrupted Paradise. I thought it was the same as the one you told me about, but it doesn't sound like the same from the description.  
  
Message me when you get on!  
  
- BR  
  
-root:1388051; kernel047 – message erased 21:09, 2/6/11  
  
- End of Chapter 5 


	6. In Absentia

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts do not belong to me. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens after the end of Outbreak. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. I would once again like to stress how much I appreciate you folks taking the time to read these monsters, and especially for reviewing them. You are just the best bunch of readers a guy like me could hope for, and don't think for a minute that I don't appreciate your feedback – it's how I get better, after all :)  
  
Okay, so it went up Monday night. At least I got the day right. Yay for progress! Anyway, comments and critique are always appreciated, especially now that I'm throwing in more characters from the games and show. If I write someone out of character, dammit, I wanna hear about it!  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Unreal OST – All Hallows Sunset  
  
Chapter 6 – In Absentia  
-----------------------------  
  
(That's odd... where is it?)  
  
An empty email client stared back at him, the lack of new messages defying the chime he knew he had heard just minutes ago. Doubting his eyes, he opened the mailbox a second time, and the results were the same.  
  
"No mail," Hiroshi whispered. "First the static, now this... there's something going on here."  
  
Sitting in his desk chair, he picked up the headset and visor, still plugged into the back of the computer. He turned the device over in his hands, inspecting the surface for any cracks or flaws, any visible indication that something was wrong.  
  
Finding none, the boy frowned; his suspicions were not easily abated, having been thoroughly tempered by 'The World'. (I know there's something here... I think there is. There has to be.)  
  
Gently, he trailed his fingers along the cord, following it back to the computer. He blindly reached around back, feeling around for the outlet, straining slightly.  
  
(Nothing there, either. Damn.) Hiro withdrew his arm, and brushed off the dust with his other hand. (Maybe it's the wire itself? No, that looks okay... and it's not that old, either.)  
  
Running a hand through his hair, he reclined with a bewildered look on his face. He then almost jumped out of his chair as an idea formed in the back of his head, a disturbingly obvious one that he had somehow overlooked.  
  
He returned to the email client and opened a new message, fingers eagerly dancing across the keyboard.  
  
-  
  
From: Kite {theworld}  
  
To: Support {systemadmin}  
  
Subj: Glitches, character on Sigma server  
  
Recently, there have been rumors of a strange character on Sigma server; I've seen this character myself, and it didn't look like any monster or NPC I've ever seen. It attacked me and escaped, and I believe it's related to my current problems, because it knew my real name.  
  
Earlier this evening there were minor instances of static in my visor; it seemed only visible to me, as no one else in my party was affected. Also, I heard a chime indicating that I had new mail, but none was there.  
  
I would appreciate any help you could offer.  
  
-  
  
She watched her reflection in the water, a head of pink hair rippling and shimmering as it stared back at her. Her body was casually slumped against the railing, arms folded under her chest, propping her up as she stared straight down, into the river below.  
  
All around her, the commotion of the virtual community within Mac Anu; characters in colorful costumes running left and right, a boat passing beneath the bridge upon which she stood, the sun shining merrily in the simulated sky, the chatter of conversation that almost never ceased.  
  
Her shoulders sagged as she exhaled, ruby-colored eyes downcast and tired. (He was online not too long ago... where did he go?)  
  
BlackRose cocked her head towards the Chaos Gate, thinking she had heard a familiar voice, but shrugged it off when she saw its owner – a towering pile of clanking metal, wielding a huge axe; obviously not who she was waiting for.  
  
The swordswoman's body froze as her puppeteer lifted her visor, tearing her away from the sights and sounds of the aqua capital and replacing them with those of her bedroom.  
  
She rubbed her eyes thoroughly, finding herself surrounded on all sides by purple walls, conservatively decorated with a calendar and a single poster of a concert she didn't even remember.  
  
(Come on, Kite... hurry up, will you?) she thought; even in her head, however, her tone was not impatient or demanding. Merely a request.  
  
Locking her fingers together, she pressed her palms outward, stretching her arms and hands, a slight stiffness to her slender digits as muscles pulled and bones bent.  
  
"Excuse me... BlackRose?"  
  
The voice was quiet, soft; barely audible through the earphones of her headset. She pulled the device back over her head, mashing down some of her shoulder-length black hair as she was plunged back into the world.  
  
BlackRose sprang to life, resuming idle motions, among others; she turned to face her speaker, and immediately did her best not to yelp in surprise.  
  
"Ryoko... um, hi," she awkwardly greeted the white-garbed Axewoman, standing up straight in the process.  
  
Though she appeared to keep her cool, the Heavy Blade's mind was going a mile a minute. The two hadn't even been in the same party, much less only in each other's company, since a certain event involving Kite, an event she looked back on with a mix of emotions, not the least of which being unease.  
  
The girls had never held the most cordial of relationships, but they were certainly far from enemies; how it was that Ryoko and she had effectively forced Kite to choose between them was still unclear, even to her. In hindsight, she couldn't help but ponder how selfish the two of them had been, and when they had all regrouped, she knew she wasn't alone in that sentiment.  
  
Whether she could at all recognize and admit to herself how she felt about the Twin Blade, or whether he could do the same was irrelevant at the time; unable to call their relationship anything other than a partnership, she knew that there was something more there, something they had proved to each other time and again.  
  
At least, that's what she wanted to believe.  
  
"Sorry, I was AFK," explained BlackRose. "What's up?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing," replied the blond-haired girl. "I saw you standing here, and it looked like you were waiting for someone."  
  
(So you just wandered over to say 'hi'?) she thought, and instantly chastised herself. (Relax... it's just a friendly gesture. Hell, it's more than you tried to do.)  
  
"Yeah, I was looking for Kite," she answered. "I saw he was online, but he didn't reply to my mail."  
  
"Oh, Kite!" her face lit up. "He was with me not too long ago."  
  
She might as well have punched BlackRose in the gut, though the pink-haired warrior barely contained her discomfort. "Really," she said flatly.  
  
"Yes, he was helping me upgrade my axe again," said Ryoko.  
  
BlackRose gulped hard, feeling something twist and coil deep in her belly as all thoughts of civility and peace began to fall silent. (So he was with her the whole time... and he didn't even answer my mail?!)  
  
"He didn't say anything about mail," Terajima continued. "But he seemed to be having some problems with his headset."  
  
Restrained hostility was calmed for a moment. "What?" asked BlackRose, looking questioningly at the Axewoman.  
  
"It was something with his visor, I think," she said, "or maybe his computer. He said he was seeing things."  
  
"What kinds of things?"  
  
She paused, her eyes rolling to one side as she thought for a moment. "He didn't say...but I didn't see anything at all. I think he's having some technical problems." Before BlackRose could respond, she added, "Maybe that's why he didn't get your mail?"  
  
The Heavy Blade lowered her gaze to the bridge, swallowing again, this time in shame. (I think she's right. How could I have thought that... Kite isn't that kind of a guy! He wouldn't just ignore me without a reason.)  
  
She felt a slight measure of guilt that she had assumed so much, and yet was relieved that said assumption hadn't left her private thoughts. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, feeling her chest loosen and shoulders relax.  
  
"Did he say when he would be back?" asked BlackRose, meeting Ryoko's eyes for the first time since she had arrived.  
  
"He did say he would be back later, but I don't remember if he said when that would be."  
  
"Hmm," BlackRose grunted, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I kinda have to get up early tomorrow, so I can't wait too much longer. I was hoping to check this one field out before then."  
  
"One field?" Terajima shifted her weight, leaning to her left. "Do you mean Hidden Corrupted Paradise, on this server?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the one. You saw it too?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, I read the post. It sounded like a special event character, but there haven't been any official notices about it. In fact... this is the first I've heard of it."  
  
BlackRose turned her head left, staring down the central canal which split the city in two. "In an email Kite sent me, he said he encountered a strange character in another field, on Sigma server. I thought this one might be related."  
  
"I see... what happened with this other character?"  
  
"I don't really know," said BlackRose, furrowing her brow, hints of concern in her expression. "But I think there's something funny going on in 'The World.'"  
  
"I think you might be right." Terajima glanced left, then right, as if watching for anyone who might be eavesdropping.  
  
BlackRose might have smiled if she wasn't doing the same. For all their obvious physical – and social – differences, the two girls shared more than a few characteristics, and a sense of caution appeared to be one of them.  
  
A thought popped into her head, and it was out her mouth before she had time to thoroughly contemplate it. "Why don't we just go and check it out ourselves?"  
  
Ryoko blinked, reeling back just slightly, yet in obvious surprise. "Uh," she said softly, quickly regaining her composure. "Well, um... I..."  
  
"I mean, that is... if you're busy, it's not a problem," said BlackRose, equally thrown off by her own suggestion. "It's a low-level field, and I don't plan on sticking around if things become dangerous."  
  
"N-no, that's not it. I mean, yes," Ryoko corrected herself. "I'll go with you, if you don't mind. Perhaps we can find out what this character is."  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Opening her menu, BlackRose sent an invitation to the winged fighter before her, and, with a short bow, Ryoko accepted.  
  
"Thank you," she said in her usual polite manner.  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
Before either could move a step, Ryoko spoke again. "And... I'm sorry, if I seemed hesitant just now. I... was a little surprised."  
  
Working a half-smile onto her face, BlackRose took the lead, following the bridge off the canal and towards the Chaos Gate. "Me too," she confessed.  
  
-  
  
From: Lios {systemadmin}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: Re: Glitches, character on sigma server  
  
Hello again, Kite.  
  
You're not the first to report this character, but you are the first to have problems associated with it. How it knew your name I'm not sure, but if it attacked you, then this is a serious matter indeed. I will personally be examining the sector for anything that looks out of place.  
  
I can say this; it must have access to system information and user accounts, otherwise it would have to know you through some other means. What those might be, I'm hesitant to speculate.  
  
Understand that I am forbidden from disclosing certain information about our systems under ordinary circumstances; however, I will do my best to look into the matter. If nothing else, I believe you are owed that much.  
  
- Lios, System Administrator  
  
- End of Chapter 6 


	7. 72881D

.Hack: Penance   
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. Nothing in particular to note this time, although I would like to point out that the boardroom fight scene in "The Crow" is one of the best fight scenes in movie history. Having said that, you can rightly assume that said movie is the reason this update is technically in on Saturday, and not Friday like it was supposed to. (blush)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Crystal Method – Trip Like I Do  
  
Chapter 7 – 72881D   
------------------------  
  
"Did you find out anything?"  
  
A field of white surrounded the teal-haired Twin Blade on all sides, stretching as far as the eye could see; a private sector, dedicated for administrators only, including the one who stood before him.  
  
Lios was his typical sour-looking self, the green-clad, heavyset NPC shopkeeper his avatar of choice, a seemingly permanent grimace on his weathered face. His powerful arms were folded across his chest, and a hint of frustration tinged his voice.  
  
"Very little," he said with a sigh. "I personally scanned every inch of that field, but found no trace of viral infection, or anything else out of place." He shook his head, then added, "I even went in and checked every room in my character, but there wasn't anything except monsters and treasure chests."  
  
"Oh," murmured Kite, letting his head droop an inch or two. "But... you did find something, didn't you?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Lios nodded. "As I've said, yours isn't the first email we've gotten in regards to this strange character, yet we still haven't had a visual confirmation. That is, no one can tell us exactly what it looks like."  
  
"It looked like a man, from what I saw." Kite paused to pick his words. "He was dressed like someone would in the real world; he was wearing sneakers, and black clothes."  
  
"Well, that's a little more than we've been getting so far," said the administrator. "Most of the other reports were even more vague. And then another one shows up..."  
  
Kite blinked. "Another one?"  
  
"Just a few hours ago. It was reported on the boards that someone saw a strange character at Delta: Hidden Corrupted Paradise." He frowned. "Whatever these things are, the players are finding them faster than we can even confirm they exist."  
  
"Are they the same?"  
  
"I do not believe so. What little we've heard describes this character as dressed in orange."  
  
"I don't understand," said Kite. "Why can't you find these things, if so many players have spotted them?"  
  
"Hmph," grunted the administrator. "That's a very good question," he admitted, somewhat uneasily. "These don't seem to respond to network scans, and administration doesn't want to waste manpower checking in on something that might not even be a problem, especially since so many of us are busy still documenting and repairing from the Wave."  
  
"But if they're confined to the same fields..."  
  
Lios cut him off. "Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense, and none of us have been able to go and check on this latest rumor."  
  
"Then I'll go check it out," Kite said confidently, "and let you know what I find."  
  
"I would appreciate that." Before Kite could leave, he added, "There was one other thing I found out."  
  
The boy eyed Lios curiously. "What's that?"  
  
His brow unfurrowed. "I didn't find anything to explain the static, but I did a systems check on our email service to ensure there weren't any glitches, and there was something unusual imbedded in your address."  
  
Kite narrowed his eyes. "Something unusual?" he repeated.  
  
"Some kind of data miner program," answered Lios. "Like spyware, but far more aggressive; it seemed to be erasing email as it arrived in your inbox."  
  
The Twin Blade looked puzzled. "It was erasing my mail? Then how did yours get through?"  
  
To his surprise, Lios shared his look of confusion. "I don't know. The only explanation is either that someone is selectively screening your mail, or it didn't work before you read mine."  
  
"There were others, though... from Ryoko, and Stolls..."  
  
The administrator seemed to bristle at the latter name. "Hrm... then it sounds more like the former." He took a deep breath, and spoke carefully. "I don't mean to worry you, but it would appear that someone is monitoring your email."  
  
Kite swallowed hard, fidgeting nervously. "So... whose email did get deleted?"  
  
"I'll show you the logs."  
  
The stocky man passed an arm to his right, and a large window appeared, running perpendicular to where they stood. On it, text was displayed, a highly visible sky blue against a translucent gray background.  
  
[2/6/11 – electronic mail traffic: "Kite" {theworld}  
  
From: ---- {anonymous} (12:13)   
-root:3092194; kernel047 – message erased 17:45  
  
From: BlackRose {theworld} (14:40)   
-root:7182305; kernel047 – message erased 17:45  
  
From: Stolls {theworld} (16:05)  
  
From: Terajima Ryoko {theworld} (18:00)  
  
From: BlackRose {theworld} (21:09)   
-root:1388051; kernel047 – message erased 21:09  
  
From: Lios {systemadmin} (22:01)]  
  
Kite gaped as he read the glowing window, gasping quietly as his eyes fell upon 'message erased'. "From BlackRose," he whispered. "And... what's that first one?"  
  
"I'm unsure," said Lios, "but it's encrypted. Or rather, it was."  
  
He turned sharply to face the administrator, his footfalls echoing in the empty expanse of the private room. "Can you recover them? Do you know what they said?"  
  
"No, once mail has been deleted it can't be recovered unless it's been archived, and that isn't possible if it was never opened."  
  
Kite groaned, hanging his head. "Damn... she must have been looking for me."  
  
"If it's a bug in the server, I can remove it," Lios continued. "It will take time. However, if it's something on your computer, specifically, then I recommend you erase and reinstall the software, or run a scan on your hard drive."  
  
"I understand," said Kite, "but right now I think I should check out that field. Maybe something is still there."  
  
"I'm about to log out for the night. If you find anything..." he trailed off. "Wait... no, don't mail it to me. Make a note of it offline and report it directly to me, tomorrow. In person. Send a PM to our technical support queue with your name on it, and ask for me. I will find you."  
  
"Right. I'll see what I can find!"  
  
-  
  
The land around them lived up to its field name; grassy earth, toned in a rusty red, dead and dying trees lying here and there, some graced with the bones and skeletons of long-dead animals. Above, the clouds churned and swirled, choking out the sun behind an angry grayness.  
  
BlackRose and Terajima Ryoko exchanged looks, less concerned with their surroundings than the fact that there was nothing else in them.  
  
"Someone else must have read the post before the boards went down," said BlackRose.  
  
"The field has been cleared," said Ryoko, nodding her head in agreement. "All that's left is the dungeon."  
  
The Heavy Blade looked over at the entrance to the – the upper portion of an enormous humanoid head, buried in the dirt with its mouth agape, 'fingers' clenching and unclenching as if beckoning the adventurers to enter. She flinched, a quiet chill snaking through her at the macabre creature.  
  
"Let's check it out," she replied, steeling herself and dashing towards the mouth. Behind her, she heard Ryoko's footsteps as the Axewoman followed.  
  
The two passed through the open maw and descended down the slick, fleshy passageway, into the throat of the beast that, for all intents and purposes, was still functionally equivalent to a conventional dungeon. Before long, they came to a T-junction, passages branching east and west.  
  
"It sure is quiet here," muttered BlackRose, eyeing their surroundings carefully.  
  
To her left, the angelic warrior was scanning the area with a similarly cautious eye. "They must be far ahead of us... I wonder if they've found that character yet?"  
  
"Guess we'll have to check the place out, top to bottom." She turned towards her newfound party member. "The monsters here are pretty weak. We should be okay if we split up, and we can cover more ground that way."  
  
(Oh! I hope she didn't take that the wrong way,) thought BlackRose, briefly recalling the last time the two of them split up. (It's not that I don't want to search with her...)  
  
Thankfully, Ryoko didn't. "I agree," she answered, bowing her head politely. "I will take the right path."  
  
(Phew!) "All right. PM me if you find anything!"  
  
They broke away and headed in opposite directions, keeping their party intact as they entered different rooms. The two girls systematically searched each and every portion of the dungeon, with only large blue nerves and unbroken eggs or bodies to impede their progress.  
  
The floor below was more of the same, although Ryoko did find a single unopened portal – which proceeded to spawn a single trapped chest, which in turn protected a single Cooked Bile.  
  
[From: Terajima Ryoko  
It looks like they weren't as thorough on this floor. There is still no sign of them, or of anyone else.]  
  
[From: BlackRose   
I think... hey, I've found them! I just saw them pass through an opening before it closed! Next floor down, come on!]  
  
Purpose in her step, the dainty Axewoman charged through the empty chambers, her boots making slight squishing sounds in the damp, porous ground. The green-and-purple corridors passed her by, exposed nerves and veins hanging like vines; in the distance, a long tunnel ended in a narrow arch sloping down.  
  
As she descended to the next level, she saw BlackRose up ahead, hands on her hips, tapping her toe impatiently as she stared at the lump of flesh that served as a door into the next room. "Rrrgh... come ON! What the hell is taking so long?!"  
  
"Is there a monster in there?" Ryoko asked, rejoining the Heavy Blade.  
  
As if on cue, the 'door' shrunk away and vanished, leaving the path open. BlackRose threw a look back at Ryoko, and the two dashed through the opening together.  
  
"Phew! That was a close one! Good job, guys!"  
  
In the center of the large, square chamber, a team of two Twin Blades and a Wavemaster stood around a fast-decaying monster corpse, congratulating each other as they recovered from their battle. The creature turned to a dull shade of gray and disintegrated before either girl could get a good look at it.  
  
"Not bad for a first party," commented one of the Twin Blades, a young, blonde man garbed in dark green cloth and black leather armor.  
  
The Wavemaster – tall and slender, in blue-and-red robes, with a large cap that settled just over his eyes – chanted to himself as he cast a few healing spells. "It sure put up a fight, though. Worse than that other thing."  
  
"Yeah, I'll say. What was that thing, anyway?"  
  
The second Twin Blade noticed BlackRose and Ryoko standing nearby, and turned to address them. He smiled and bowed politely, ruffling his yellow outfit. "Hi!" he called out. "I'm Reed; these are my friends Pyne and Starseeker. Are you exploring here, too?"  
  
BlackRose stepped forward. "Yeah, we were looking for the event character. Did you guys happen to see him?"  
  
"Event character... oh, you must mean that guy in the orange clothes!" Reed exclaimed. "Yeah, we ran into him a few minutes ago."  
  
"Really??" asked BlackRose. "Where was he?"  
  
Pyne, the other Twin Blade, joined the conversation. "It was the floor above us; we didn't even know there were monsters like that in here!"  
  
"Yeah, it caught us by surprise," said Reed. "We barely won."  
  
"You won?" Ryoko started. "Then... it's dead?"  
  
Starseeker leaned on his staff, addressing no one in particular. "I swear, it looked crazy... like a real person, but covered in blood."  
  
BlackRose reeled her head back. "Blood?!"  
  
"We heard noises," said Reed, "and, there was this guy in the corner of one of the rooms. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit, and he had a knife." Gesturing with his hand, he added, "At first, I wasn't sure what was going on, but then he started towards us. Starseeker hit it with a fire spell, and then it attacked."  
  
"I just kinda panicked," confessed the Wavemaster. "I targeted it like any other monster, but this one didn't have a name."  
  
Ryoko sighed. "So, it's gone."  
  
"What about that thing it dropped?" Pyne mentioned.  
  
"Oh yeah!" Reed reached back, rifling through his inventory. When his arm came around again, it was holding a scrap of paper. "When he disappeared, he dropped this note. I'm not sure what it means, though."  
  
"Can I see it?" asked BlackRose, indicating the note with her hand.  
  
"Sure, go ahead."  
  
Reed offered the note to the Heavy Blade, who accepted it and began to read. The paper was old and crinkled, a white 8x11 sheet with letters that could only have come from a printer. Parts of the top were obscured by dried blood and ink stains, but most was clearly legible.  
  
[...involved in an altercation with two other inmates during morning exercise – 31892D (Croker, Felix) and 76600 (DeGarmo, William). One had fastened a makeshift knife from a bedpost, while the other had pilfered a length of chain from storage. Subject mortally wounded his attackers, but was himself seriously injured. All participants were given proper medical treatment, then sentenced to 72 hours solitary confinement (excepting the subject, who was sentenced only to 24 hours.)  
  
It is the opinion of myself, and officers Wilson and Fairfax, that inmate 72881D acted in self-defense and should be cleared of any charges of misconduct in this incident.  
  
Sincerely,   
Philip A. Alvarez   
Corrections Officer, San Quentin State Prison   
California Department of Corrections]  
  
"Huh?" grunted BlackRose. "From a prison? What is this doing here?"  
  
"There's more on the back," Starseeker said, pointing to the letter. "Someone drew a circle on the back and wrote 'He's here'."  
  
- End of Chapter 7 


	8. Enough to Go On

.Hack: Penance   
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. Glad to see there's so much speculation going on in the sidelines! Don't worry, it'll all be clear quite soon. As usual, C&C are more than welcome. By the way, have I mentioned that Far Cry is super freaking awesome? I think that should be how I start conversations from now on :)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Queensryche - Open  
  
Chapter 8 – Enough to Go On   
------------------------------------  
  
(She's online! Good, now maybe I can get her attention...)  
  
His hands blindly set the controller aside, and drifted over to the keyboard; the arid, red-hued field was in his eyes, though his attention was elsewhere as his fingers found the small divots on the F and J keys.  
  
[From: Kite   
BlackRose! I'm sorry for not replying earlier; I got your email... sort of. There's a problem with my account, and I think there's something very serious going on – someone has been erasing my mail. I'm headed to Delta: Hidden Corrupted Paradise, the field that was reported on the boards about that]  
  
Hiroshi blinked as the text stopped. He continued typing, but the machine only made a slight beeping noise, the cursor flashing but otherwise remaining still. Then it hit him.  
  
[From: Kite   
Sorry, got cut off by the character limit. Anyway, I heard about it from Lios, but I never got to read your emails; if that's what you were trying to tell me, I'm at the field now. – Kite]  
  
One fairy's orb later, Kite deduced that the area above ground had been thoroughly cleared out, and made a beeline straight for the dungeon. His boots kicked up tiny clouds of dust as he ran, eyes peering through his teal bangs in search of any other players.  
  
(If it was on the boards, then someone had to have seen it... a guy dressed in orange. But what would it be doing here? How does it all fit in?)  
  
A program on his computer erasing specific email; a man in black looking for Stolls; reports of a man in orange lurking in a different field. Though he tried his best, the boy couldn't get the events to match up, and he wasn't entirely certain they were meant to.  
  
He ducked through the dungeon entrance, and the scuffing of shoes on dirt turned into wet plops and squishes, the ground replaced with the pliant flesh of the colossal, treasure-filled beast.  
  
The sound made him flinch; almost a year had passed since he started playing the game, and yet there were some things he hadn't gotten used to. The disturbing sensation of walking into the maw of a giant beast was one of them.  
  
[From: BlackRose   
There you are! I'm in the dungeon already, with Ryoko. We just found something weird, we'll be right out. Wait by the entrance, okay?]  
  
Her message caught him momentarily off guard, but he recovered in short order, spun on his heels, and followed the path right back out of the dungeon.  
  
The sun's harsh glare poked a hole through the clouds, staring him in the eyes, causing him to squint. He strode away from the entrance and sheathed his daggers, folding his arms across his chest as he began to wait.  
  
(Wait... she's with Ryoko?) he thought all of a sudden, freezing up as he recalled the last time both girls had been in a party with him. (Oh, no. I hope they weren't fighting or anything. Well... they probably wouldn't have gone into the dungeon together if they were still arguing over that.)  
  
Kite closed his eyes, hoping that neither girl was still bitter over his decision. Ryoko hadn't brought the subject up since, and neither had BlackRose, so he could only assume it was water under the bridge. Then again, he never thought the two would so blatantly compete for his favor, either.  
  
(I think we're going to have to talk about it one of these days...) A slight shiver snaked through his body at the thought.  
  
He heard a familiar chiming from behind, and turned around to find an even more familiar pair of adventurers standing by the entrance.  
  
"Hey there!" called BlackRose, racing over with a smiling Ryoko in tow. "I've been waiting to hear from you. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting, you know!" she admonished.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry," said Kite, his tone sheepish despite the circumstances. "I didn't mean to..."  
  
He heard a faint giggle, followed by "I know, I read your message. I'm just teasing." The pink-haired Heavy Blade followed the statement with a smiley face.  
  
Ryoko bowed her head to Kite. "It's good to see you again. We figured something was wrong when you weren't answering her mail, and then again with the problems you were having earlier."  
  
Kite found a smile creeping onto his face, feeling more than a little proud that the two of them had worked together to deduce what was going on. "So you came here to check on the rumor, right?" he asked. "What did you find out?"  
  
To his surprise, their expressions went blank. "A party before us killed the character," BlackRose explained. "We never even saw it."  
  
"Oh... did you find the party, then?" he pressed.  
  
Ryoko nodded. "Yes, we found them. The way they described him... it's almost like he was a... a prisoner of some sort."  
  
Kite glanced at Terajima, curious. "A prisoner?"  
  
"Yeah, and there was this note they found," added BlackRose, who proceeded to produce a sheet of white paper, partially marred with blood. "Some of it was cut off, but it talks about some... well, I'm not sure, a fight at a prison or something. Take a look."  
  
She offered it to the Twin Blade, who gingerly accepted the note and began reading. His eyes grew darker as he read the account, and his obvious confusion only grew more definite when he spied the words 'he's here' on the back.  
  
"He's here?" Kite parroted. "So, that character... was he the one this note was talking about?"  
  
"I think so," said BlackRose.  
  
"It could also be either of those other two," the Axewoman chimed in. "What were their names... Croker, and that other one."  
  
Kite scanned the note again. "Wait a minute... California." He looked up. "This happened in California?"  
  
"That's what it says." BlackRose tilted her head. "Why?"  
  
"Stolls... uh, Dean, he's from California. He used to be with the police."  
  
Terajima gasped. "He was a police officer? Then... maybe that note... and that prisoner..."  
  
"Someone he put in jail," finished BlackRose. "Maybe this person's after him, in the real world... and someone in here is trying to warn him?" She scratched the back of her ear with a free hand. "Someone who can't reach him normally?"  
  
"I don't know," Kite replied, lowering his gaze. "But I think we should let him know about this. Maybe he can tell us more about whoever the prisoner was, at least."  
  
"I agree," said Ryoko.  
  
Kite brought up his menu, but stopped when he heard BlackRose speak again. "You said you didn't get my mail?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah... and yours wasn't the only one," he said. "There was one from an anonymous address."  
  
She looked at him strangely. "Anonymous? Wait, was it the one I tried sending..." she stopped, catching herself. "Oh, right. Well, I got one too, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Let's head back to the root town, I'll show it to you."  
  
"All right."  
  
They gated out separately, BlackRose's party first, followed by Kite. A second of loading time later, they appeared in Mac Anu, gathered close together in the confines of the Chaos Gate enclosure. Opting to find a secluded locale to continue their discussion, the three made their way to the nearest alley, following it to an empty cul-de-sac.  
  
"I'll go get the email again," said the Heavy Blade, who froze in place as her attention left 'The World'.  
  
Kite ambled over to the wall of a building and leaned against it, letting himself slide into a sitting position. He crossed his legs, letting his hands rest on his knees as he watched BlackRose expectantly. Ryoko followed suit, folding her skirt under her legs as she knelt down.  
  
"Might as well mail Stolls," Kite said. "I'll be right back."  
  
-  
  
From: Kite {theworld}  
  
To: Stolls {theworld}  
  
Subj: Letter from prison?  
  
BlackRose and Ryoko found this weird letter in a field in the game; they said it was from the character in orange that was reported on the boards. The way it was described was like a prisoner; the party that killed it showed us a letter they said it dropped. It talks about some fight that happened at a prison in California, and on the back someone wrote the words 'he's here'.  
  
Do either of these names sound familiar? Felix Croker or William DeGarmo? It was signed by some guy named Philip Alvarez... and it also mentioned another prisoner, whose number was 72881D.  
  
I think whoever it is might know about your past; the girls think it might even be one of the names on the letter.  
  
- Kite  
  
-  
  
"When did you two run into each other?"  
  
Ryoko turned her head towards him. "It wasn't long after you left. I found her waiting out on the bridge."  
  
Kite nodded. (I hope she wasn't waiting too long...)  
  
"Kite," she began, her voice soft as ever, but with a tightness that could have been concern. "Do you... have any idea what this might all be about?"  
  
He shook his head. "Not really... the character knows Stolls, and he knows me... the real me." A pause. "Well, my name at least. Maybe it's related to what happened to the both of us..."  
  
She placed a hand on the ground and shifted her body to the left, angling towards him. "What is it?"  
  
Glancing up at the still frozen BlackRose, Kite inhaled deeply, and released it in a long sigh. "It's kind of a long story... it happened alongside everything that was going on in 'The World', with Morganna and Aura."  
  
He didn't get to continue. As he stared at BlackRose, she came back to life, quickly noticing the seated posture of her two companions and joining them on the ground.  
  
"All right, I've dictated it into a flash mail that I'm going to send to the both of you. Make sure to log it!"  
  
[From: BlackRose   
Kite,  
I--- m-! --- the -an -- -l---!  
T--t ---'- -t-l--, th--'s an -mp---e-  
They ---- h--, ---g----.  
D--'t ----- hi-!  
--a-]  
  
Hiroshi reached out with his right hand, finding its place on the keyboard, and touched one of the function keys, saving the message. For the sake of caution, he also felt around for the print screen button, recognizing its position to the right of the function keys.  
  
"I've tried to decipher it," BlackRose added, "and could only come up with the following that I was sure about."  
  
Opening his log menu, Kite nodded to the pink-haired warrior. "Okay."  
  
[From: BlackRose   
Kite,   
I--- me! --- the man -- -l---!   
That ---'- -t-l--, that's an -mp---e-   
They ---- h--, ---g----.   
Don't ----- him!   
--a-]  
  
Ryoko 'hmm'ed quietly, studying the message before her. "Isn't this like those messages you received from Aura? The ones that were scrambled?"  
  
"Yeah... yeah, it is kinda like that, actually."  
  
"That part at the bottom looks like a name," BlackRose remarked.  
  
"An 'a' in that third spot..." Kite jerked his head, looking up and at BlackRose. "That could be Dean." He then turned to Ryoko and explained, "That's Stolls in the real world."  
  
Terajima stopped to adjust her posture, sitting up straighter. "How could that be him? You've been in contact with him, haven't you?"  
  
Kite shrugged. "Well, yeah... I was with him when we saw the man in black."  
  
Ryoko made a small noise, then blinked and stared hard at a section of the text. "Man in black?" she muttered, barely loud enough for the statement to be a question.  
  
The other two eyed her, and BlackRose was first to ask – in a manner of speaking. "Huh?"  
  
"What if... well, the 'l', it's in the right place. What if those last words, in the first line, are 'man in black?'"  
  
Kite could almost see the light clicking on in BlackRose's eyes. "It fits... 'me... the man in black'. What if this message is from that man? He did know your name, right?"  
  
"It was written in the ground." Kite idly chewed on his lip for a moment. "But wait, if he knew my real name, why would he address me as 'Kite' in the letter?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
The three shared a defeated sigh, one of which turned into a yawn. "Mmm... well, it's getting kind of late," said BlackRose as she stood up and stretched. "I have to get to bed soon."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Kite said in agreement. As he and Ryoko moved to their feet, he added, "thanks for checking out that dungeon. At least we were able to get a clue from it all." (I hope it's a clue, anyway.) "And I'm sorry again about your emails, BlackRose."  
  
She waved dismissively, smiling at the Twin Blade. "Don't worry, it wasn't your fault." Her gaze shifted to Ryoko. "I'm just glad I ran into you two. Maybe we'll all be able to get to the bottom of this."  
  
Ryoko performed her typical bow of the head, though Kite noticed a similar smile on her face. "It was nice to work with you."  
  
Part of Kite wanted to do a double-take. Working together was one thing, but being polite to each other? These were most certainly not the same girls who had parted from him in anger and frustration so long ago.  
  
As they exchanged good-byes and logged out, the boy had one final thought as his online self, a thought that made him smile and cringe at the same time.  
  
(I am really not looking forward to that talk.)  
  
- End of Chapter 8 


	9. Stranger in Name Only

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun  
  
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts belong to Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.  
  
Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. Nothing in particular to note this chapter, although I wanna send a few thanks to some people who've been cool to me from the get-go. Jonathan Priest and Goldberry – fellow writers, and talented writers at that, and all-around nice people; thank you for your kind words. Shinji Ikari, your knowledge of all things .Hack has saved my hide more than once.  
  
D.C., you can call me 'Renfro' anytime. Ren will do in a pinch, and if you feel up to it, you can call me by my real name: Bob McSpiffy. EternallyLost, Elk-InnocentAura... glad to have you all here. Runnin' out of room so I gotta cut this short, but you know who you are, you wonderful peoples you :)  
  
This chapter written under the influence of: Genesis – That's All  
  
Chapter 9 – Stranger in Name Only  
------------------------------------------  
  
[News: Cyber-Terrorism Conference Begins  
  
Just over twelve hours old, the Global Cyber-Terrorism Conference, hosted by the United Nations, began with a resounding endorsement of Cyber Connect's 'Altimit' operating system by chairwoman Alexis Fulbright. "The lessons of Pluto Kiss are clear;" said the representative from the United States, "that the security of information – of the very network upon which our society rests – is not the property of any one government, but of the cooperation of state and industry."  
  
Fulbright spoke before a gathering of representatives, one from every member of the U.N., as well as leading scientists and businesspersons in the field of information technology. Vice President Kyoya Takahashi of Cyber Connect was present, as was Aldous Rosenberg, CEO of rival software developer Asara Corporation. No small amount of controversy surrounded Rosenberg's appearance, as his firm was recently the subject of an investigation into claims of misappropriated funds and corporate sabotage – claims filed by Cyber Connect. The investigation turned up no conclusive evidence, though Rosenberg himself has made no comment on the matter.]  
  
-  
  
"Mnnn... aw, man..."  
  
Hiroshi sighed, turning over to lay on his other side, pulling the comforter with him. A quick glance at a bedside table gave him cause to frown; the alarm clock stared back at him, telling him it was six minutes after one in the morning, and more than two hours since he had turned in for the night.  
  
It wasn't the temperature that kept him awake; the room was comfortably cool, enough to warrant tucking himself firmly beneath all of his bedsheets. The pillow pressed softly against the side of his face, beckoning him to relax, and yet his mind was abuzz with activity, all of it in the form of unanswerable questions.  
  
None of them were new, just the usual 'who' and 'what'. Their three cousins were absent; 'where' and 'when' required a certain measure of fact, and he needed to know what was happening before he could ask 'why'.  
  
He turned again, sliding a hand beneath the pillow and propping up his head. His eyes never opened, yet somehow the lack of visual input only fueled his thoughts, instead of stifling them.  
  
(Oh... this is impossible. I'll never get to sleep at this rate.)  
  
His eyes popped open, letting in the light of the nearly pitch-black room. The moonlight filtered through the drawn blinds, tinting what little they could reach in a bluish hue and forcing his pupils to widen. He recognized the darkened shapes of his room, everything in place as he remembered it.  
  
He could hear the fan running overhead, a soothing noise that drowned out the less pleasant noises a house could make in the dead of night.  
  
A soft exhalation, muffled by his pillow. (I just can't stop thinking about it... something really serious is going on. People are spying on me... are they watching me right now?) The thought sent a chill through his body. (What do they want with me? Does this have to do with Dean?)  
  
Briefly, he let his mind go over his curious relationship with Dean, all the while wondering if he had inadvertently dragged Hiroshi into something the detective was already neck-deep in, or if whoever it was had an agenda that involved him from the start. Like a game of solitaire in his head, every potential move, every possible explanation, only brought up another question, another card to be placed.  
  
Balling his hand into a fist, he squeezed the pillow firmly with his fingers. (Oh, forget it. Maybe if I get up and just check my mail or something...)  
  
The boy resigned himself to fate, and threw aside the covers; slowly he rose to his feet and quietly toed his way to the desk. A tiny green light glowed in the darkness, the power indicator for the computer that reminded him the machine was still on. From memory, he guided his hand to the monitor, feeling the bottom right corner for the on-off button. The screen remained dark and lifeless until he gave the mouse a gentle nudge, causing the machine to arise from its slumber and the screen to light up.  
  
Hiroshi squinted as his desktop appeared, the bright blue background shining its light into his bedroom. He moved into his chair as quickly as he dared, holding his breath as he leaned back, causing the chair to groan and creak a little under his weight.  
  
Unconsciously, his hand found the mouse again and opened his mail client before he even noticed the 'new mail' icon.  
  
-  
  
From: Stolls {theworld}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: Re: Letter from prison?  
  
That's me in the letter; you might remember I was in jail for a year? I'll tell you all about it sometime, but right now... neither of the inmates' names ring a bell, though I remember Alvarez. I'm not sure what to make of it, though.  
  
I'll do some checking offline. Let me know if anyone sees any more of these things.  
  
- Dean  
  
-  
  
From: ----  
  
To: Kite {theworld}  
  
Subj: Are y-- th-r-?  
  
I've g-t to s--- out -- -t. There's -- t--e.  
  
Pl--se co-e in. Theta roo- --wn.  
  
W-i---g -or y--. No--ere e-se to --.  
  
Help me.  
  
-e-n  
  
-  
  
He shed all pretense of weariness upon reading the seemingly conflicting messages, instantly guessing that the latter email was from Dean. "Help me," Hiroshi whispered under his own breath, trying to decode the rest of the mail. (What is going on here? Did he send this later? Something's wrong, I'd better go check it out.)  
  
He deftly snatched up his headset and visor, donning both as he closed his mail client and opened 'The World.' Everything was automatic; his hands found the controller, went through the motions, what had been his daily routine for almost a year.  
  
A tiny voice in the back of his head objected, unsure of whether Dean would still be there, or if it even was Dean who sent the mail – and for that matter, how the email had slipped by whatever program was erasing his mail – but the voice was quickly drowned out by background music and ambient noise.  
  
With the push of a button, Kite stepped back into Mac Anu, and quickly did an about-face to open the Chaos Gate. Another button sent him away, and he landed feet-first on the island containing Dun Loireag's gate.  
  
The main path through the connected islands was mostly deserted, a few late-night gamers tending to various matters of their own in the distance. The sun shone merrily overhead, causing a disconcerted Kite to shield his eyes as they got used to the light.  
  
"Where am I... where am I?"  
  
His head turned to a familiar male voice, and found it attached to an avatar he recognized. Standing off to one side of the island, the Wavemaster Stolls staggered in place, his posture unsteady as he clutched his face with one hand, the other feebly clasping a shiny golden staff.  
  
"Dean... what's wrong?" Kite asked, stepping over to join the magician.  
  
"Mmn... my head is killing me," he murmured as he massaged his temples. "Hiro... that you?"  
  
"I'm here, I'm here," the boy reassured. "I got your mail... what's wrong?"  
  
Stolls lifted his head, exposing his haggard and worn face; still the picture of youth, the Wavemaster nonetheless looked as if he, too, was the victim of a sleepless night. "I have to tell you something," he said in a slow, weary voice. "I don't know what's going, but something's happening to me."  
  
Kite blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"There's... uhh." He winced, lowered his face, giving his head a good shake. "There's something... wrong with me. I want to tell you, but it's all so hazy."  
  
"I don't understand," Kite pleaded, holding his hands out as if to shrug. "Please, just tell me what's going on."  
  
"Tell me," the magician rasped, glancing past Kite to the Chaos Gate. "Have you seen me online? Be-before now?"  
  
The Twin Blade stared oddly at his companion. "Yeah, of course. We went to that one field to investigate the bizarre character, and I've been mailing you, and you me." He stopped to swallow. "And I even called your apartment," he added.  
  
Stolls' eyes wandered to a point on the horizon. "I see... listen, Hiro... I know this all seems very confusing, and I'm sorry for that, but there's something I need you to do."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You have to pay attention," he said, his gaze returning to Kite. "To me. There's something wrong with me, something I can't explain, I can't remember. You have to watch me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I think I'm watching you. And I'm not the only one."  
  
Kite let his eyes drift, unable to even dignify his confusion with coherent thought. It was all he could do to nod in compliance. "Is there anything you can tell me about what's going on?" he asked.  
  
The Wavemaster's shoulders sagged as he exhaled. "Not much. They did something to me, I can't think straight. I feel like I haven't slept in ages. Just... don't mention this to me."  
  
Kite gaped in bewilderment at the silver-haired young man, to which Stolls responded with, "I might not be who you think I am."  
  
"Oh... o-okay," stammered the Twin Blade. "I'll do what I can."  
  
"Thanks," said the Wavemaster, his voice gentle, if somewhat dry. Slowly he walked past Kite, his feet dragging as he approached the Chaos Gate. After six or so steps he stopped, and glanced over his shoulder. "Hey... what's today's date?"  
  
"February 7th. Saturday."  
  
"Damn... well, thanks again." He smiled weakly. "You're a good man, Hiro."  
  
Before Kite could say anything else, teleport rings slid up over Stolls' body, causing him to fade from sight as he departed from the area. Left by himself, Kite could only let out a long, low groan, his head throbbing as he replayed the scene in his mind. What little tolerance for confusion the boy held was now vastly overwhelmed by the cryptic responses of the Wavemaster, which joined with his sleeplessness for a psychological one-two punch that could have floored three of him.  
  
Silently, Kite gated out, and Hiroshi's world returned to darkness. He quietly removed the visor and set aside the controller, hard plastic making an uncomfortably loud clack on the wooden desk.  
  
He sighed, knowing he would never get to sleep now.  
  
-  
  
"So that's it? He didn't explain anything?"  
  
"Not much," said Hiroshi into the phone, clutched firmly in his hand. "Just that he's... well, it was weird. He kept talking about himself, how he wasn't who I thought he was. He asked me to 'pay attention to him,' and told me not to tell him about our meeting."  
  
On the other end of the line, Yasuhiko grunted in bemusement. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I have no idea," he replied as he sat down in his chair. "Right now I don't have much of anything to go on. I guess I'll just have to wait until something comes up."  
  
"Hey, as long as you're not doing anything," said Yasuhiko, "are you gonna be online later?"  
  
"Probably, why?"  
  
He could hear the smile in his friend's voice. "Think you could spare a few moments to help a poor, down-on-his-luck Blademaster power level?"  
  
Hiroshi chuckled. "Power level?"  
  
"C'mon!" begged Yasu with obvious exaggeration. "You're a hero now, like me. We gotta stick together!"  
  
His chuckle escalated into a brief burst of laughter, paying scant attention to the label. "All right, all right... so your mom's letting you play again?"  
  
"Yeah, but she wants me to keep it down to an hour a day for a while."  
  
"Right. Don't worry, Yasu, we'll get you up there in no time." With a hidden grin, he added, "And maybe someday, if you try really hard, you'll be almost half as strong as me."  
  
"That silence you're hearing is the sound of me suppressing the urge to PK," replied Yasu in a perfectly deadpan tone.  
  
Hiro laughed again. "All right, well, I'll be on for a while after dinner, though there's one thing I want to check up on right now."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I want to talk with an administrator about what happened last night."  
  
"I see. In that case, I'll talk to you later." A loud cough was heard through the earpiece. "See you, Hiro!"  
  
"See you, Yasu!" The line died with a click, and Hiroshi set the phone down on its charger, turning his attention to the computer, which had since drifted into an idle status, a field of stars in place of the desktop.  
  
The banter had taken his attention away from the gravity of the matter, but not permanently; with every look at his computer, the boy was reminded of how serious the problem was – or, to be more accurate, that he didn't know how serious it was. The only facts he knew scared the hell out of him.  
  
Shrugging off his worries, Hiro pulled the visor back over his head and hefted the controller, logging in for the second time that day. His first act as Kite was to open a flash mail menu. His hands found their way to the keyboard and he began typing.  
  
[Private message – tech support  
From: Kite  
  
I'd like to speak with Lios. It has to do with the strange character at Delta: Hidden Corrupted Paradise. I found out who it was.]  
  
The teal-haired youth nodded in satisfaction, hitting 'enter' and sending the message. Seconds later, another message popped up before his eyes, one that quite visibly caught him off-guard, though not unpleasantly so.  
  
[From: BlackRose  
I'm at Lambda root town. Got a minute?]  
  
- End of Chapter 9 


	10. Steps

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine, but before the epilogue. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. This chapter's kind of an experiment; I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with how they behave, but the dialogue just sort of flowed that way while I was writing. Even I was surprised at the angst-fluff content this time. It might seem a little out-of-character, and if so, I apologize. If not... well, I'm sorry for all the apologies; OOC behavior is my number one worry in fanfiction :)

This chapter written under the influence of: Elwood – Red Wagon

Chapter 10 – Steps  
-----------------------

He watched as the cultural city stretched and grew around him, modern-looking buildings standing tall against the skyline as they flanked the street on the opposite end of the bridge. Across the lake, block after block of urban sprawl stared back at him, reflected in the rippling water.

The teleport complete, Kite moved away from the Chaos Gate, just seconds ahead of the next party to gate in. Nearby, two players chatted, apparently haggling over some rare item.

(She didn't say what was going on,) thought the Twin Blade. (I wonder what she wants?)

In the few seconds he let himself mull over the possibilities, he spotted her near the grunty pen and broke into a steady jog towards her. As he neared, part of him wondered whether there was a reason at all.

The pink-haired Heavy Blade caught sight of his traditional red cap bouncing up and down amidst the crowd, and threw up an arm to wave him over.

Kite fell into a casual saunter as he joined her, walking over to the railing she was leaning back against. "Hey," he greeted with a smile.

She smiled back, if lightly so, and nodded. "Hey."

Her simple greeting and lackadaisical posture told him that the matter wasn't serious, though he wasn't ready to call it unimportant. "I got your message," he said. "What's up?"

BlackRose looked away from him, facing forward. "Not a lot... but..."

"But?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her shoulders and chest rise and fall, evidence of an inaudible sigh. "There's something I need to tell you."

(Uh-oh.) "What's that?"

He saw her head turn to face him. "I'm... thinking of going offline for a while."

That got his head to do the same. "Uh?" he grunted, looking at her through obviously confused eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

Her eyelids lowered, the orbs behind them looking away for a moment. "Sort of... it's everything that's going on. I just think I need some time away from it all. Time to think, you know?"

Kite wasn't convinced. "What happened?"

"I was talking with Kazu today, and we... we started talking about... it." She faced forward again. "What happened."

The boy felt compelled to remain silent, watching his companion through curious eyes as she continued. "I never told you how I got into 'The World', did I? I mean, how I found out that it was behind his coma?" She paused, but picked up before he could even attempt an answer. "I was the one who found him like that... at his computer."

"At first I thought he had just fallen asleep, but he wasn't moving... then I thought it was a prank, so I pulled his headset off, and..." she stopped to inhale, her breath sharp enough to be a gasp. "His face... he looked horrible... so afraid."

Kite felt his own throat tighten at her words, which he noticed were softer and shakier than usual.

"Even now, he's... he says he's over it, but when we talked about it today, he just started crying." She sniffed. "He was shaking the whole time, even when I held him... and then I..."

He heard another sniff, one that tore hard at the boy's heart. (She's been trying so hard to be strong for her brother,) he thought, gulping hard. (With what's going on now, it can't be easy on her...)

The swordswoman regained her composure, if only for a moment. "A-anyway, I just think I could use some time away from the ga..." she stopped, then corrected herself. "From 'The World.'"

Something dark settled in Kite's mind, tainting his thoughts. (It's because of what's happening to me... it's supposed to be a game.) He frowned. (It was supposed to be over now, and be fun again.)

The realization hit him square in the face. Whatever was happening to Stolls – and him – was clearly a serious matter, and possibly a dangerous one. Even he hadn't quite grasped what was going on, nor had he come to terms with the fact that it wasn't really over; how could he possibly expect others to?

(How can I... how can I ask for her help like this? When she might be put in danger just because they're watching me, now? When I don't even know what's going on?)

"I think I understand," he replied finally, guilt lacing his words.

Before he could continue, she interrupted. "There's more, though." She looked at him again. "A lot more."

He met her gaze. "What do you mean?"

BlackRose fell silent, inhaling deeply through her nose. "I don't want to leave. 'The World', the mystery..." she trailed off, waiting a few seconds before speaking again, in a very tiny voice. "And... you."

Kite's eyes went wide, and his pulse shot through the roof, almost positive he hadn't heard her right. He visually confirmed what she had said, staring as those two words hung in the air inside her dialogue bubble, and it only made his heart beat faster, nervous and anxious at once.

"It's not that easy for me to just log out and stay there. After everything you've done for me... knowing that something's going on here, I-I want to help you, Kite."

"I know," said Kite, "and you have. I never would have gotten that letter if not for you..."

She cut him off again. "Wait... let me finish," she pleaded, holding up a hand.

He nodded slowly, watching her intently, not even noticing that the two had since moved to their feet, away from the railing.

"I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without your help. And I feel... guilty, because I want to take time away from 'The World' when you might be in trouble." She took a step away from him, her hands clasped together. "But more than that... last night, when I was waiting, and found out that you were with Ryoko... I was angry."

Kite blinked. "Angry? But you didn't know..."

She shook her head. "I know. It wasn't anybody's fault, but a part of me still thought you had gone off without me on purpose." She sniffed once more. "It was wrong of me to think so, and I don't know why I did..."

The girl said nothing further, which prompted him to reply. "You don't have to feel bad. I... I kind of know what you mean." When she glanced back at him, he added, "When Lios showed me that you had mailed me, I was worried that it was something really important. I wanted to get ahold of you as fast as I could, to let you know that I wasn't ignoring you."

"You... were worried?"

Kite hung his head, feeling his throat constrict further. "I doubted you, too. I thought you might be really mad at me... and when I saw you were with Ryoko, the first thing I thought was... that dungeon."

It was BlackRose's turn to let her head sink. "Yeah... I've been thinking about that, too." A sad chuckle worked its way past her lips. "Heh. I can only imagine the look on your face."

He answered with a stilted laugh of his own. Kite matched her step, closing the distance between them. "But still... when I thought about it, I knew you had figured out something was wrong, and that you and Ryoko were working together to find out what."

She let her character's eyes stray from Kite for a moment, her mind roaming back to that dungeon, to the flash mail from the Twin Blade. She remembered how he had guessed her intentions, and the first thing he had done was apologize for his apparent unresponsiveness.

He started to smile. "You couldn't have been that mad at me if you still went to the dungeon, right?"

Though she didn't smile back, her head lifted and her expression visibly lightened. "Ryoko told me you were having problems. I knew that something was wrong, and that you wouldn't have ignored me just like that."

His lips pushed upwards even more. "And I knew you wouldn't just assume the worst. You did, at first... but that wasn't how you acted."

"Yeah... I guess you're right..."

"Everyone has doubts sometimes," he reassured her. For emphasis, he pointed over to the Chaos Gate, over on the bridge. "Remember?"

Images of a forlorn and defeated-looking Twin Blade filled her mind's eye, the boy's laments about whether they were doing the right thing in her ears. "I do," she mumbled. "You were just standing there... you looked miserable..."

"Yeah. I thought we really were doing the wrong thing." He closed his eyes, shook his head from side to side. "And I was ready to just give up, until you shouted at me."

Another chuckle. "You seemed like you needed a good kick in the butt."

He felt a little lighter at the joking tone in her voice. "You're right, I did. I still can't believe that whole time," he looked back at her, "we were trying to do the same thing."

BlackRose gave a genuine smile. "Of all the newbies in 'The World', I ran into the one who was here for the same reason I was."

"Yeah... it's funny how that worked out, isn't it?"

"Hmm," she answered, nodding her head slightly, her pink bangs bouncing over her eyes.

Another quiet moment passed between them, mild embarrassment forcing them to look away from each other, and both wound up staring in the same direction, out across the lake at the miles of city beyond it.

After a full minute of silence, the thorny Heavy Blade spoke again. "So what does this mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"Everything."

Kite thought about the question carefully; offline, Hiroshi took his hands off the controller and wrung them thoroughly. "It means," he began, "that it's okay."

He heard her swallow. "It's okay?"

"Yeah." After a beat, he repeated himself. "Yeah, it's all okay. We both had our moments, but... when I needed you, you were there." He felt his ears start to burn, but shrugged it off long enough to continue. "And your brother, too."

"When you... needed me," she said, her voice trembling. She fidgeted briefly, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"That's what matters most, right?" he asked, his voice gentle and honest. "Not what you think, but what you do?"

In a less serious moment, BlackRose might have been tempted to argue that point. Now, she took visible solace in his words, words she felt held more than an ounce of truth.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to face him. "Then I think I should go..."

Kite felt a flicker of fear in his gut, but quickly put it out as he waited for her to finish.

"...but I'm not going to."

With superhuman effort, the boy resisted the urge to grin, cheer, or make any other sudden, obvious reactions of joy, not yet willing to break the serenity of the moment. The best he allowed was a simple "Thanks."

She smiled once again. "You too." Her smile grew somewhat playful, and she added, "You didn't really think you were getting rid of me that easily, did you?"

Kite answered her with the grin he was hiding, and then said, "Not for a second," which was followed with a smiling emote.

Seeing the smiley hanging in mid-air forced a giggle out of BlackRose. "Well, I was going to go out for a walk today, but since I'm not going anywhere..."

Her lead was not in vain; an echoing chime sounded, and a flash mail appeared before her eyes.

[From: Kite  
Party Invite – Where to?]

Stepping in closer to the Twin Blade, she answered, "Anywhere."

Kite laughed softly at her ambiguity, and spun on his heels towards the Chaos Gate. "Anywhere it is," he said as he started, the Heavy Blade moving up to walk beside him.

As they left the pen and rounded the corner, her hand sought his, and he was more than happy to accept it.

- End of Chapter 10


	11. The Band

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine, before the epilogue. (These) are thoughts, [this] is text, and until I find something better, {this} is an email domain. No fluff this chapter, but this time, we have PLOT!

Oh yes, my friend, there is a purpose to this story beyond ensuring that my favorite characters hook up. (Does the cutesy anime sweatdrop face via up arrows and semicolons, described in text due to formatting woes – the same formatting woes which royally screwed over my emails and thus, instead of actually looking garbled and weird like Aura's, they look like freakin' Jeopardy. Grrr!)

This chapter done to the tune of: Brother Cane – And Fools Shine On

Chapter 11 – The Band  
----------------------------

"I still don't understand why we don't just kill him."

"He dies, and we've got no way to find the rest, and with them goes our plan. You know what happens then."

"I'm just saying, it's a huge security risk. Just having him HERE makes me worried."

"It's not the best idea in the world, I'll admit..."

"And you saw yourself what's going on. What the hell are those things anyway?"

"They said something might happen. Well, something's happening. Deal with it."

"All this to nab one girl..."

"She's not just any girl. Trust me, she's worth every penny."

-

He gated in before Kite's eyes, looking every bit as the Twin Blade remembered; a tall, sturdily built Blademaster, the upper half of his torso covered in light green body paint, with white stripes crisscrossing over his chest and face. A solid blue shoulder guard sat on his left shoulder, matched in color by waist and leg greaves, and his weapon sat calmly in its sheath, strapped firmly to his back.

Orca's amber eyes gazed down at his diminutive companion, a smile set firmly on his square, masculine face. After a few seconds delay, he asked, "Hey... didn't you used to have a green outfit?"

Kite was forced to chuckle. "That's kind of a long story." Thinking for a moment, he corrected himself. "Well, actually that's a short story – the bracelet changed my outfit."

"Heh heh... you get all the fun stuff," said the warrior, his voice clearly not that of a 15-year-old boy.

The two players broke into a minor fit of laughter, and then embraced, slapping each other heartily on the back – though Kite's smaller stature forced him to stand on his toes to do so.

"Good to be back," said Orca as he released the teal-haired fighter from his grasp.

"Good to see the other you again," Kite replied with a smiley, and followed up by sending a party invite towards the Blademaster. "Ready to go?"

Orca nodded, accepting the invitation and joining the Twin Blade's party. "Where are we headed?"

"Almost anywhere on this server should do," said Kite, looking at the parapets which surrounded him – the towers and battlements of Fort Ouph. "You're still level 50, right?"

"Yeah."

With a nod, Kite started towards the Chaos Gate. "In that case, we'll just do a random field."

Glancing down at his new leader, Orca asked, "Do you think we'll need anybody else?"

"I sent a few flash mails already," was Kite's reply, "but nobody answered. BlackRose had to leave before dinner and said she wouldn't be on until late tonight. Balmung is in away status right now – the message says he's in the middle of something. The only other two I know who are online are in a party somewhere else – Sanjuro and Ryoko."

"So just you and me, huh?" Orca smirked. "Now that takes me back..."

Kite let out a small noise, unsure if he was amused or unsettled by the thought of their previous adventure.

They soon stood before the Gate, and Kite engaged it and immediately opted for a randomly generated field. In a heartbeat, the keywords appeared, and the boy took note of the field level and element before accepting.

The Root Town around them vanished, and was quickly replaced with a vast snowfield. Chunks of rock and broken, ancient structures lay here and there, most half-buried in tall snowbanks or blocks of ice, all tinted with many shades of blue. Above, the clouds were thick and dark, choking out the sun as tiny snowflakes sprinkled down to the earth, with only a faint breeze to interrupt their descent.

One Fairy's Orb later, the two were making their way towards the nearest portal. "So, did you meet with that administrator yet?" asked Orca, breaking the silence.

"Not yet," Kite answered. "I'm back in a GM queue, just got a flash mail a little while ago that Lios would meet with me."

"Lios? You asked for a specific admin?"

"He's the one that helped us before, and when I told him what was happening this time, he told me to contact him directly," Kite explained. He cut himself short as a portal popped up at the edge of his view. "Hey, look!"

Orca hefted his sword, gripping it firmly in his large hand. "I'm ready!"

The two dashed towards the spinning golden disc, and watched as sparks began to cascade down its surface. A low whistle began and quickly grew in pitch as the disc brightened, and, in a flash, it was gone.

"Yaaaahhh!...oh."

Sharing a mighty war cry, Kite and Orca charged into the light, and just as suddenly skidded to a halt before the treasure chest which now occupied where the portal once sat.

"Huh." The Blademaster shrugged his broad shoulders and cocked his head towards Kite, a weak grin on his face. "Well... at least there's treasure."

Kite nonchalantly strolled up to the box and lifted the lid, poking his head inside. "Hey, it's a Hanged Man scroll. Those are always help-"

[You already have 99 Hanged Man scrolls. Gave up Hanged Man scroll.]

"-ful."

The box vanished into thin air, taking the contents with it and leaving the would-be combatants to simply stand and stare.

"O...kay," muttered Orca, "it looks like you've got enough treasure already."

Kite shook his head, causing a few bangs to bounce around in front of his eyes. "I really have to sell more often."

At that, they headed towards the next closest portal, Kite taking point with Orca close behind. Their feet kicked up tiny clouds of snow as they ran, leaving footprints that slowly disappeared behind them.

"Hey, quick question," Orca began out of the blue. "That player, BlackRose... you mentioned her before, yesterday. Is she involved in this too?"

"Sort of," said Kite as he led his friend around a large pile of icy rocks. "She was trying to help her brother back then, and she's been helping me out ever since." He coughed, then added, "We actually were just talking about that."

"Really? Why, what's going on?"

"I told you how some of my email was being deleted, right?" He slowed his pace, glancing back at Orca and waiting for an affirmation. When the Blademaster nodded, he continued. "Most of it was from her; that is, all of her mail was deleted, along with something from an anonymous email address."

"Anonymous... you mean like the one you got last night? From that guy Dean?"

"Yeah, the ones that were scrambled. Anyway, I think whoever's watching me is watching her, too, but I can't figure out why."

The look on Orca's face grew darker. "This sounds pretty serious."

"I wouldn't have asked for your help if I thought I could handle it myself," said Kite. "Strange characters, deleted mail, people spying on us... and I don't even know if it has anything to do with me at all this time."

"Right, because that first character was just looking for the Wavemaster, wasn't he?"

Kite gave a short nod. "That's what we were told."

"Hmm. You know, maybe we should have Balmung take a look at those scrambled emails you've been getting. You made copies, right?"

The Twin Blade stopped and faced his sole companion, spying their intended destination – another portal – out of the corner of his eye. "I saved all we had in a log file, and then again in a text document," he confirmed. "I tried going over those yesterday with BlackRose and Ryoko, but we couldn't figure it all out. All we have is that it came from the man in black, that first character."

Orca chuckled. "I mean it. You wouldn't know from looking at him, but he's really good at that sort of thing. He once told me he does a lot of crossword puzzles."

"Really?" Kite raised an eyebrow. "Well, all right then. I'll show them to him as soon as he's back."

"Good. Anyway... if you would..." Orca said quietly, looking over at the nearby portal.

The younger player followed his gaze, and caught on right away. Raising his blades, Kite replied with a confident "I'll warm them up for you," and dashed forward to engage the enemy, barely finding time to close the statement with another smiley face.

-

"You sure it's nothing important?"

Balmung shook his head, tousling a few strands of his silver hair in the process. "He just said he was going to help Orca level. It didn't sound important." He folded his arms across his chest plate, staring evenly at the man opposite him. "Not as much as this, anyway."

The bright orange of his tunic and slacks was the most noticeable aspect of his outfit, with the eyepatch a close second; small, linked pieces of some foreign metal ran the length of his left arm, green paint doing the same on his right. His hair – shoulder-length, brown, and parted down the middle – was brushed neatly back and did little to obscure his hard-set face, or his remaining eye.

Sanjuro met the Azure Sky's gaze. "In that case, as soon as Ryoko gets back, we'll show you where we found him."

At the name, Balmung eyed the halo-adorned Heavy Axewoman, restraining a smirk at the amusing contrast between her outfit and her armament. The axe lay still in her hands, as inert as she was; her body made no movement at all, lacking the guidance of a human player.

Less than a minute later, Terajima snapped back to life, her face lighting up with a kind, cheerful smile. "Thanks for waiting!" she exclaimed.

"No problem," said Sanjuro. "C'mon, let's show him that guy."

Without bothering to form a party, the three fell into a loose semblance of formation, Natsume and Balmung following the samurai as they sped across the lush, rolling plains around them. Grassland stretched for miles in every direction, broken up by the occasional windmill or rock pile, most indistinguishable from one another – as if some lazy deity on the development team had been overly fond of 'copy and paste'.

"So how did you find this thing?"

"I've been hearing about these characters on the boards," said Sanjuro. "A guy I know mentioned this area, and I wanted to check it out."

"Were you with him the whole time?" Balmung asked, addressing Ryoko.

She doubled her pace to keep up with Sanjuro. "No, but I heard the same rumor, and this time it seems like we're a few of the first."

The winged swordsman peered curiously at her. "This time?"

Ryoko nodded. "BlackRose and I were following another rumor last night, but we were too late, and the character was killed by another party. When I heard this one, I wanted to get here as soon as possible." When no one else spoke, she kept talking. "I found Sanjuro here with the character."

"There have been a lot of rumors about this lately," remarked Balmung. "I'm surprised so many are turning out to be true."

"Not really that many," said Sanjuro, "at least not from what Ryoko told me. Anyway, I thought you should check this out before we start sending emails."

"Why didn't you ask for Kite?"

"He said not to," was the quiet answer from Ryoko. "He said that... oh, just a second, let me check the logs." Her face went forward as she stared into the empty air. "Here. He said, 'They're getting nervous. They might do something if they know I've contacted him again.'"

"They?"

"We're here," Sanjuro interrupted, stopping their march through the plains. He cleared his throat, then sheathed his sword and cupped his hands over his mouth – a reflexive animation preceding a shouted message. "Hey! You can come out now!"

Shuffling feet caught Balmung's ears, and he whirled in the direction of the noise. "Balmung of the Azure Sky, I presume?"

He stood at average height, a medium build, and clad completely in dark clothes – shirt, shoes and pants. Short black hair topped his head, which was devoid of any distinguishing features save for a weary cast to his eyes and skin that was a tad on the pale side. He was utterly unremarkable in every sense, obviously intending to avoid attention, and yet in 'The World' he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Balmung held his ground, watching the newcomer carefully. "You called for me?"

He sniffed, casually sliding his hands into his pockets. "Sorta. I needed someone to talk to that wasn't Kite."

"Why not him? Why couldn't you tell Sanjuro, or Ryoko?"

"It's a long story, brother. You all better sit down."

Feeling his confusion get the best of him, Balmung forced one more question past his lips. "So... who are you, anyway?"

The man turned away slightly, a deep sigh escaping his chest. "I imagine I'm being called lots of things right now... but for what it's worth..." he paused, running a hand through his hair, giving his forehead a brief massage in the process. "The name's Dean."

- End of Chapter 11


	12. Shatter

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine, but before the post-game stuff. God, I love ambiguous timeframes! You know the drill: (thoughts), [text], {email domains}. Anyhoo, the plot, she thickens! And no, I didn't cave in and put Sanjuro just because of the requests. Really. Honest :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Full Devil Jacket - Where Did You Go?  
  
Chapter 12 – Shatter  
-------------------------

"Before you ask, I don't know who's behind this. Well, not exactly, anyway." His eyes drifted from Balmung to Ryoko, then to Sanjuro. "I don't suppose any of you saw a guy in a prison jumpsuit?"

Ryoko nodded. "Um, we didn't get to meet that character; some other players found and killed him, but we did get a letter from him. It said something about a fight?"

Dean groaned, lowering his gaze for a moment. "Yeah... that was me. In both cases. I-I mean... that was me who was attacked in the letter... and me at the field."

The Axewoman's eyes opened wide, and she let out a small gasp of surprise.

Sanjuro spoke in her stead. "How could that be you? She just said they killed that character."

"I know, I know how this must all look like... just go with me on this, man, okay? I'll get to that, but let me finish." He paused for a second or two in anticipation of other questions. Satisfied, he continued. "I was trying to give you a name to work with. The guy's name is Felix Croker. Some... small-time drug trafficker I put away that held a grudge."

"And he's the one that attacked you?" asked Balmung.

Dean turned to the Blademaster. "Yeah, that's him. I don't know what role he plays in this all, but he's a part of it, no question about it."

"If you're here," said Ryoko, "then who has Kite been with when he meets with you... uh, with your character?"

"I don't know exactly. It might be Felix or one of the others, but it's definitely not me." He cocked his head skyward, and then glanced at Ryoko. "Hey, could one of you do me a favor and log this conversation?"

Balmung gave a nod to the detective. "I have it."

"Thanks. Make sure it gets to Kite, he has to know what's going on. But don't mail it to him; you'll have to think of some other way. Offline, where they can't track it."

Sanjuro unfolded one of his legs from beneath him, planting a foot in the ground and propping his elbow up on his knee. "So, what's going on here with all these characters?"

"As far as I can tell, there's been three of me, almost like... god, how do I put this..." Dean furrowed his brow, staring into the ground. "It's like my... mind, I guess, broke into a few pieces in here. Me, the prisoner, and I even... I found myself looking like my character one time."

"And you've been all of them?" was Balmung's next query. "So, there haven't been multiple characters, but just one, just you; and you've been a different one each time?"

"Maybe, or maybe there's only been just one at a time. It's almost like a game," Dean said ruefully. "I started off as me, only I knew I shouldn't be me. It's like someone had hijacked my character and I was stuck in 'The World' as me." He waited for a beat, letting the words hang in the air. "After running from Kite and Stolls, I ran into a portal that spawned some monsters." Shivering, he added, "they killed me."

"I don't know how it happened; it wasn't like I could feel it happen, couldn't feel the pain, couldn't feel anything. I saw my body turn gray and vanish, just like anyone else in the game. Then everything went dark." Slowly, his eyes drifted away from those of his audience, a hint of fear in the dark brown orbs, his words soft, weak even. "For a while... maybe an hour, maybe longer, I couldn't tell. It was just... empty. I felt cold, alone."

Coming back to himself, Dean faced Balmung once more. "And then, just like that, I was back. As the prisoner this time. And when I died again... Stolls."

A stray gust of wind tousled loose hair and cloth, the only noise on the plain besides their voices. "Wait," said Sanjuro. "You were your character?"

Dean sighed as he looked at the samurai-themed warrior. "Yeah. And I ran into Kite, too. I didn't tell him too much... he's being watched."

"How did you become yourself again?" the Heavy Blade pressed.

"When I left the root town, I wandered for a little while. I just... I was so tired, I just collapsed. I was like this when I came to." The detective shook his head. "That's when I figured out that someone was playing a game with me, based on my memories, my past. Only I don't know what to make of it."

"Do you remember how you got here?" asked Ryoko.

"Y'know, that's a funny question. I don't actually 'remember' anything before waking up in 'The World.' I mean, I know – or at least I think – that someone kidnapped me in the real world, but I don't remember it happening." His gaze hardened. "I don't remember being woken up in the night, men in black barging in, holding me down and forcing a rag soaked with chloroform over my mouth, but that's how it happened. It's like... it's like if someone told you about an event that you didn't see for yourself. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Ryoko replied, "but how have you been communicating with Kite? Sending mail, or leaving that letter?"

He folded his hands, resting them in his lap. "I don't know. It's almost like I can still interact with the game menu, but I can't actually see it... I just kinda feel my way around. Think about it really hard. Something like that. Sometimes it's more definite than others, like I can almost see the interface – a heads-up display, status boxes, graphical indicators. I can only imagine how it comes through."

"It was scrambled. We tried to decipher it, but we didn't get very far."

Dean nodded. "It said, 'It's me, the man in black. That isn't Stolls, that's an imposter. They want her, Morganna. Don't trust him.'"

Balmung clamped his teeth together. "They want Morganna?! Why?"

"Damned if I know. I don't know what good it would do either, now that she's... well, even I'm not sure. I know I should know, though." He chuckled dryly. "Heh, you know what's funny? When I said I don't remember anything happening... I don't even remember what happened to me when I was the prisoner, or Stolls. Like before, I just... knew that it happened."

An older woman's voice startled all four of them. "And don't you ever wonder why that is?"

All were on their feet and facing the newcomer in a matter of seconds; a tall, blonde woman, clad in a revealing white robe, trimmed with gold on the sleeves, with what appeared to be armor plating on her hips and shoulders. Much of her chest lay exposed, with only a pair of narrow straps to cover her breasts; by contrast, a large, conical white hat sat on her head, with a red visor obscuring her eyes. In her hand, the trademark of a Wavemaster, a magic wand that looked almost as unorthodox as she.

Balmung narrowed his eyes. "Helba."

Her head twitched briefly in his direction before she approached, stepping up to the small circle to address Dean directly. "Don't you wonder why you know things you haven't experienced? Why you can't seem to control what you do in other forms?"

Stollis wasn't fazed. "All the damn time. What's it to you?"

"Hmm." The corner of her lips quivered, as if in the beginnings of a smirk. "I've been watching you, Mr. Stollis. As you know, your existence in this world is an abberation, something that should not be, yet here you are. The very first incident happened a few days ago, and yet you don't need to log off for food, or drink, or rest."

Sanjuro eyed Dean carefully. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that although our detective here has been in 'The World' for well over 48 hours, he has not been at his terminal for that amount of time." She shifted her gaze to the Heavy Blade. "I'm saying that what you see here is not Dean at all."

"What... what are you talking about?" Dean asked, a tone of urgency in his voice.

"Haven't you figured it out?" she asked, an almost amused quality in her words.

He stammered, visibly flustered. "I... I don't understand..."

"She's saying you're a computer program," Balmung answered flatly. "You're an AI, or like one."

Terajima let her jaw drop, staring long and hard at Dean. "What?! You mean that this character isn't really... isn't him?"

"Think about it," said Balmung. "If someone else is controlling Stolls, and they've kidnapped him offline... why would they allow him into 'The World'? Where he might be able to find help?"

"But then, how did he get here as an AI?"

The hacker turned back to Dean. "I believe if he were awake, he could answer that very question."

"Th-this is insane!" he yelled. "I don't know anything about AI, or... any... ah... how would I... how..." his words grew more and more strained, and he gesticulated wildly with his hands. "And you... this... this doesn't make any sense!"

"You knew you would be in trouble," said Helba evenly, "so you had a program created to ensure that someone would be alerted to what happened to you."

"But I don't know anything about that!"

"Maybe someone helped you?" Sanjuro suggested.

Helba gave a curt nod in his direction. "Perhaps they wanted to imitate you, and learn more about Morganna from those who were involved. You knew this, didn't you?"

Defeated, Dean let his head drop, letting out an exasperated groan. "I... I don't know."

"Well, then perhaps we should speak again when one of us does know." She spun with flourish, her dress billowing slightly as she started to walk away. "I will find out what I need to know. I suggest you do the same... detective."

Before anyone could object, the hacker had teleported away, golden rings encircling her body as it vanished.

-

From: Balmung {theworld}

To: Orca {theworld}

Subj: Strange Character

I just met with the man Kite calls Dean – the player of Stolls, the Wavemaster. Fortunately, we were able to get to him before anyone else did. He explained some of what's going on; a lot of it was vague, but apparently he's some sort of artificial intelligence, trapped here in 'The World', and the person playing Stolls isn't the real him – that player is after Morganna.

This log file will tell you everything that happened. He insisted that you get it to Kite, only offline; Ryoko explained a little more of what was happening, and said that someone was selectively blocking his email.

I'm not sure what to make of all this, but I'll keep in touch. Let me know if you and Kite come across anything unusual.

- Balmung

-

"Ahh... now this is more like it!"

Orca barely broke a sweat as he effortlessly hacked at the gargantuan pile of metal – an animate suit of armor that was at least four times his size – and knocked off over a hundred hit points with every swing, a far cry from his performance earlier in the evening.

One final slash, and the armor crumpled to the ground, eventually losing all color and dissipating into the air. A flash of bright yellow sparks danced around the Blademaster's head, and the words [Level Up!] appeared in the air above him. Nearby, a grinning Kite applauded his friend's prowess, clapping his hands loudly and cheering him on.

"Whew!" said Orca as he raced over to his friend. "Ten levels in just under an hour, now that's progress!"

"Not bad, huh?" Kite shot back, with a grin and a smiley face.

Orca smiled back. "Well, it's almost time for me to go, but thanks a lot. I needed this."

"It's all right. I'm glad I could help. Ready to head back?"

"Sure, let's go."

Together, the two gated out from the field; snow, ice and rock were quickly replaced by the more hospitable root town of Sigma server, the aerial city. Mere seconds after they arrived, a familiar male voice broke through the crowd.

"Hey, Kite!"

The red-capped Twin Blade smiled and waved to the newcomer as he neared the Chaos Gate. "Hi, Stolls."

The Wavemaster came to a stop before Kite, and his eyes instantly went towards his larger companion. "Heh heh... now there's a face even I would recognize. You must be Orca."

Orca bowed his head in acknowledgement, which was met in kind from the Wavemaster. "That would be me," said the Azure Sea. "And you're this Stolls that Kite keeps telling me about?"

Stolls grinned. "That's my name. Nice to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise. I... oh, hold on, I just got mail."

The magician flinched for barely a second, but it was long enough for Kite to notice. "Anyway," said Stolls, "there was a report on the board about another one of those characters, but I took a look around; the field was deserted. Christ... feels like we've been stuck at square one since the beginning."

"I see... well, don't beat yourself up over it," Kite replied. "I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this eventually."

"I hope so."

Neither noticed when Orca sprang back to life. "Well, I need to log off. Again, it was nice to meet you," he said to Stolls, though there was a twinge in his speech that might have been a hint of anxiety.

"Yeah, you too."

"Take care, Yasu!" said Kite, waving good-bye to his companion.

Orca looked blankly at the Twin Blade as he vanished, saying not a word in reply.

"I guess I'll get going, too." Stolls angled his head towards Kite. "If I find anything, I'll letcha know. Take it easy, Hiro."

"I'm trying to," was the boy's unenthusiastic reply, his mind still on his friend's odd expression.

He heard the humming of the rings as they signaled Stolls' exit from 'The World'. Less than a minute later, a soft chime sounded in his ear, and a message popped up before his eyes.

[From: System Administration  
You are number 1 in the GM queue. Administrator Lios is ready to meet you.]

- End of Chapter 12


	13. One More Thing

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts), [text], {email domains}. The plot continues! Extra-special applause to Goldberry, who finally came down off of something nasty and got to update her story; Berry, glad to see you're up and about again. I can only assume I speak for more than just myself when I say you've been missed :)

Somewhat angsty fluff this time around. Enjoy!

EDIT: That does it. I'm writing somebody about these formatting problems. Now it's x-ing out the dashes below chapter titles. This is beyond ridiculous.

This chapter brought to you under the influence of: Asprin. Lots and lots of it.

Chapter 13 – One More Thing  
  
"I'm sorry it took so long to process your request," said Lios, gesturing to the empty white space around him, the contents of a private sector of the game. "A number of our best technicians went to the Conference; we've been shorthanded lately."

Kite nodded. "It's all right."

"In your mail, you mentioned you'd discovered the identity of that character on Delta server."

"Well, we never actually saw the character," said Kite, "but the players we ran into did. They found this letter that talked about some... some kind of fight in a prison."

Lios blinked. "A prison? I don't understand."

Kite reached into his pocket as Hiroshi scrolled through his inventory, finding and producing the letter, which he then held out to Lios. "The character was dressed in a prison jumpsuit," he explained. "This letter is a report on a fight that happened in a prison in California."

Lios accepted the note and hastily scanned it; he turned it over, furrowing his brow at the sight of the message on the back. "He's here?"

"BlackRose, Ryoko and I went over it after they gave it to us." Kite stepped up to the bulky administrator, reaching over the man's arm to point out the names. "We think it's one of the three who was involved in the fight."

Squinting, Lios lifted the paper up high, tilting it and staring hard at it. "What does it mean," he muttered.

"We also think the character might be Dea... uh, Stolls. This Wavemaster I know."

The administrator instantly froze. His head slowly turned to Kite, disbelief visible on his face. "Did you say 'Dean'?"

"Yeah, that's his real name."

"Dean Stollis?"

"Yes," Kite said cautiously. "Why, what is it?"

Lios' face lost all trace of expression for a moment; he caught the boy off-guard with the next one as he lifted a hand and brought it to his forehead in a hard slap, his palm covering one eye. "You've got to be kidding me," he grumbled, seemingly to himself. "You have seriously got to be kidding me."

"Lios?" asked Kite, staring oddly at the administrator, who was now laughing under his breath, and painfully so.

"Ohhhh... I... this, uh, are you... you're absolutely sure?" Lios countered, his hand still on his forehead. Out his open eye, he watched as Kite nodded slowly. "I'm gonna kill this guy... I swear, I will find him and I will kill him with my bare hands, I swear to god."

"What is the matter?" Kite urged, audibly growing impatient.

"This man," he started, "has become the bane of my existence. EVERY time he has gotten involved, it has either ended up with me filling out a ton of paperwork, or noticing that the headlines on the paper are more relevant than usual."

The administrator's candor was in stark contrast to his earlier conduct, the stoic, no-nonsense visage long gone; in its place, a weary tech support guru who had worked one hour of overtime too many. His hand fell away, revealing the unsettled look in his eyes. "What on Earth has he gotten himself into this time?"

"I don't know exactly, but he's in some kind of trouble." Kite carefully gauged the stocky man's reaction as he spoke again. "I ran into him last night, too, as Stolls. He said that... he might not be who I think he is. That he was watching me, and... 'they' did something to him."

Confusion reentered Lios' eyes, along with a shred of his nigh-trademark professionalism. "He might not be who you think he is? What was he trying to tell you?"

"I'm not sure." Kite paused, chewing on his lip for a half-second. "Something else was weird, though. He didn't know what the date was."

The admin processed the information with startling haste. "I think your... friend, might be an imposter."

Emitting a quiet 'huh?', Kite gazed up at Lios with a bewildered look on his face. "You mean... that's not Dean?"

"He said it himself. I think he was trying to tell you that's not him controlling Stolls." Kite was about to interject before Lios continued, unknowingly answering the boy's next question. "Of course, if it was Stolls that told you that, it wouldn't make sense for him to..." he trailed off with little warning.

The Twin Blade was left waiting for him to finish his sentence, but instead he began a new one. "That may yet be plausible, Kite."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Technical support just received an email that was directed to me. One second."

He gestured to the empty air, causing a window to spring out of the nothingness – large, gray and translucent. The words on it were barely words at all; gaps in text, replaced by horizontal dashes, where there should have been letters. Kite knew instantly who it was from.

[From: Tech Support

To: Lios {systemadmin}

Subj: Fwd: I'm n-t cr-z-

Lios, I d-n't kno- w--t you'-- he--d, but  
she's wr--g. I can -rov- --!  
I-- me, - h-ve -o be. M-x k--ws. C--tac- -ax.  
MK-rre- {und--ne-/asar-e-st}  
"O-en your -ask, Ta--n." = P--sw-rd  
No -ne l-ft - c-n cou-- on. Th-y'—all co-pro--sed.  
He w-ll k--w. -- -il- -n-w. He will know.]

"It looks like gibberish, though I can almost make out some of the words..."

"Can you send this on to Balmung?" Kite interrupted. "Orca told me Balmung's good at figuring these things out."

Lios frowned, but gave an affirmative grunt. "I certainly can't think of a better idea. One moment." He froze for a handful of seconds, then continued with his character's idle movements. "There. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have others look at this. It appears to be an email address in there."

Kite scanned the text over and over, struggling with its meaning. (That almost looks like... Max. Max who, though? Someone Dean was working with? He's definitely trying to get us in touch with someone.)

"In any case, you've reported to me everything you've learned since our last meeting, correct?"

Kite turned back to Lios. "Yeah, that's everything."

"Good. Though I admit this news has been somewhat... disconcerting... I thank you for your assistance." He gestured to the teal-haired boy. "If you would excuse me, I have more referrals to tend to."

"Sure. And thank you too, Lios."

The corners of his lips curled upwards into a small smile. "As I've said... this is the least we owe you."

"Kite, hello!"

He was as surprised as she appeared to be; mere seconds after touching down in the Sigma root town, he was beset by the voice of an all-too-familiar Axewoman, polite and proper, every bit as ladylike as her countenance.

He waved to her as she neared. "Hi, Ryoko."

"Were you busy?" she inquired as she stopped before him. "I saw you gate out of the town, but it showed you as still online."

"Yeah, I just spoke with Lios, about what we found about that prisoner character."

"Ahh," she nodded. "There's something you need to know, Kite. Do you have time? Can we talk?"

"Sure, of course." He gestured to the path behind her. "Let's go over by the grunty pen, it's quieter there."

Both started along the solid bridge which spanned between battlements, the ground below obscured under thick clouds which sped beneath the city, as fast as any earthbound river. Before long, they found themselves at the pen, with no one around except for the NPC caretaker, and a lone player who was tending to an immature grunty.

"So what is it?" asked Kite, turning to address Ryoko properly.

She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his. "We saw Dean tonight."

He leaned forward, lips puckered as if to say 'What?'.

"Not his character," she explained, "not Stolls. I mean, the real Dean – the man in black, who you first saw."

"Wh-... how? Why didn't... why didn't anybody tell me?" He held his arms open, palms out as if pleading for answers. "What happened? Did he tell you anything?"

Ryoko fidgeted, clasping her hands behind her back. "He said it was him as the prisoner... and again when he met you last night, or so he said." She gulped. "Helba arrived, too..."

"Helba?!"

"Yes, and she... well, helped us deduce that someone else was controlling Stolls, and that Dean – the character we keep seeing – is some kind of artificial intelligence."

Kite sucked in a short, sharp breath of air. "No way..."

"Balmung is finding a way to get the log to you offline," she said, "because of the problems with your mail. Dean said they couldn't track you offline. That should tell you everything we were told."

"Lios was right," Kite whispered. Speaking up, he added, "when I was meeting with him just now, he received an email, another scrambled one from Dean. It said to contact someone I think was named 'Max'. There was an email address, but I couldn't read it. Lios suggested that Stolls might be an imposter... and I think he might be right."

"This is all so very strange," said Terajima, her gaze leaving Kite to scan the area nervously. "I don't know what's going on, but it all seems to involve your friend. And now all of us..."

Kite's voice took on a firm tone. "If there's one thing I've learned from Dean, it's that things aren't always simple and obvious. There's something deeper going on, I'm sure of it... I just can't put my finger on it."

"I think you're right. Dean said they might be after Morganna."

Kite gawked. "Morganna?? But... but how? She's... gone, isn't she?"

She lowered her head, shaking it lightly from side to side. "There's too many questions," she murmured, shoulders rising and falling in a silent sigh.

Leaving her statement unchallenged, the Twin Blade folded his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess I'd better wait and see this log for myself. But thanks for telling me." His hands dug into the white cloth of his sleeves. "I'll have to be careful around Stolls, at least until we find out what's going on."

"Right."

He watched her carefully, noting how she fidgeted, how her hands were still clasped demurely behind her back, how her posture was guarded and cautious. Part of him suspected there was more to the story, and he was quick to pay heed to his suspicions. "Ryoko? Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

She lifted her head and met his eyes once more. "There's... I have a confession to make, Kite."

Puzzled, Kite relaxed his arms, tilting his head a few degrees to the right. "What's the matter?"

"Remember yesterday, when you helped me upgrade my weapon?" Her demeanor was apprehensive, and obviously hesitant; she avoided eye contact, as if in shame. "Th-there was... I had another reason... for contacting you."

He let his arms drop to his sides, focused on her words. "What was the reason?"

Her eyelids drooped shut. "I... I... w-wanted to spend some time... with you..."

"Oh," he gasped, even as the more analytical part of him was doing a round of I-told-you-so's in his head. A slight flush came to his cheeks as she continued.

"A while ago... back before the dungeon, I didn't even think of it..." again, her head went down, "like that. But in there, something... something happened. T-to both of us, I mean."

Kite felt his throat being squeezed, knowing which 'us' she was referring to. (Here it comes,) he thought with dread, his heart starting to pound.

"You've always been so nice to me, Kite, and I never really had the chance to thank you for it." Her eyes opened once more. "I didn't have any problem with BlackRose, and I honestly didn't mean to come between you two like that... or force you to make that kind of a choice."

"Ryoko... I know," Kite assured her. "You don't have to say anything."

"I think I should, though." She looked up at him, tears in her virtual eyes. "Because it didn't come to me until now to even face up to it. Not until I had spoken with her, and worked with her." A long pause – as long as five seconds could be – and then she said, "It wasn't fair to you."

Tentatively, he reached a hand out to her, resting it gently on her shoulder. His voice was slow, full of care and concern. "You're right... it wasn't... but I know you didn't mean to."

"It wasn't even supposed to be a choice," she admitted. "You're a nice boy, Kite, and I really do like you... but I didn't mean to be so presumptuous. We haven't known each other that long, and I would never assume something like that."

"Then... why?" he asked, letting his hand fall away.

"I don't know. I guess... I was afraid... we wouldn't be friends anymore. I wasn't thinking clearly... I was just worried. And then when we joined up together, I knew I had no reason to." She smiled, albeit sadly. "I knew all along, and I just..."

"Forgot for a bit... didn't you?" he asked, completing her thought.

"Mm-hmm."

He smiled back at her, remembering the words of another girl. "It's okay... really. That happened to me too. It happens to everybody, once in a while." His smile grew. "You'll always be a friend of mine, Ryoko."

The forlorn look in her eyes began to fade, quickly replacing itself with hope and joy. She brought her hand up to wipe away her tears, tears of shame and regret, quickly turning into relief and happiness. "You too, Kite... thank you." She bowed to him, her wings folding back slightly. "Thank you very much."

He grinned. "Hey, come on... you're helping me investigate, and you've proven you can work with BlackRose. I think that proves we don't have to worry about anything." To echo the statement, he threw a smiling emote her way.

She touched a gloved hand to her mouth, hiding a giggle. "I suppose so... you've certainly a way with words, Kite."

The blush returned to his face, not yet deep enough to alter the boy's behavior. "I try," he said in a soft voice.

Another giggle, though some of her exuberance began to fade. "Well, I need to log off for the night. Still, I am glad I found you today."

"Me too." As if the night's revelations were all but forgotten, he offered yet another smiley face, and said, "Good night, Ryoko."

She bowed again, offering a courteous "Good night," in return. She then started to leave, but stopped in mid-step and faced the Twin Blade. "Oh, and Kite?"

"Yes?"

The Axewoman cleared her throat, a look on her face Kite was certain he hadn't seen before, one he couldn't immediately identify – 'sly' was the closest he could come up with, but her posture, her voice was still too polite and friendly.

"She really likes you, too."

Hiroshi couldn't stop himself from blushing, and wondered how much of it was visible on his avatar. He let his head bob up and down in a nod, and replied, almost inaudibly, "Yeah... me too. A lot."

- End of Chapter 13


	14. As the Day Rolls By

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text], {email domains}. It has occurred to me that this fanfic has become a Livejournal of sorts for me, seeing as I don't have one of my own. I blame a lack of ambition. Also Communism.

In other news, I'm sure many of you, like me, are back to school – be it high school, or (in the words of MacHall) society's four-year state-subsidized adult kindergarden. Take heart in knowing that there's a fair-to-middling chance that a great deal of others, myself included, have classes that suck as much as yours. Don't let that stop you from complaining, though, that's the only thing that's gonna keep you sane. Take it from me :)

This chapter brought to you in part by: Thornley – Come Again

Chapter 14 – As the Day Rolls By

* * *

Hands folded behind his head, Hiroshi reclined in his desk chair, stretching his feet out beneath the desk. Eyes closed, his face serene, he allowed himself to reflect, though he didn't have much choice in the matter.

(Another mail... Ryoko... Dean... and Morganna again. So much going on. I don't know what to think now.)

Not for lack of trying, but the boy knew he still didn't have enough information about what was really going on. One of his confidants an imposter, and real-life versions of him appearing in 'The World'; an old enemy resurfacing and a new one hot in pursuit; a fragmented email with a name he found familiar. He didn't know which question to ask first.

(If what Ryoko said was true... then Dean might be just a program in the game. But who would put something like that there? And how, and why? Can we believe what it's been telling us?)

That last question led to a darker one. (What if this is all some kind of... I don't know, some big trick or something, trying to get us focused on... they're after Morganna, so they have us concentrate on Dean, and what happened to him? But she's gone now. It doesn't make any sense! Unless Dean was getting close to something and they decided to...)

The speculation grew too complicated, breaking his trance; he shook his head gingerly, swirling his thoughts like a snow globe. As if by fate, more pleasant ones drifted first to the forefront of his mind.

(So, Ryoko didn't really think of me that way.) He snorted, more than a little amused. (She's stronger than I thought... it took a lot of courage to make amends for something like that. I know I sure wasn't looking forward to talking about it.)

A smile crossed Hiroshi's lips. Not unlike BlackRose, Terajima's motif of choice – pure, white, angelic – was quite fitting; he was convinced the girl had not a malicious bone in her body, even if her behavior wasn't always what he would consider wise.

(It's a good thing we ran into each other,) he said inaudibly. Valiantly, he tried to steer his thoughts to more serious matters. (What she said fits what Lios told me about Dean.)

This topic fell away in a hurry, replaced by the far more interesting half of their conversation.

Her confession had caught him off guard, while simultaneously relieving him of a huge burden. Though the physical danger was no longer present online, he believed quite fervently that the emotions – what he felt, and what he thought others felt – were quite real, and that, too, posed its own sort of danger. The thought of some obscure love triangle was not one he enjoyed.

He blinked, his thoughts stopping cold. There was that word again. The one BlackRose had used, supposedly as a joke. The one that caused him to stop and think, as if that were somehow the key to suddenly understanding how he felt, whether he cared for BlackRose in a sense beyond a close friend and trusted ally. He had used the same word to describe his fondness for games and breakfast cereal; did such a word truly capture how he felt?

The chair creaked a little as he picked his feet off the floor, flopping them up on an empty portion of desk. It wasn't the first time he'd pondered this subject, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last; briefly he envisioned a tiny cartoon version of his character running in circles, fast and long enough to wear a rut into the ground.

She two years his senior, he still the shy boy he had always been; a part of him wondered whether he would ever have been able to approach BlackRose – her player – as only himself, not some digital hero with a rare item that held the key to her brother's salvation, but just Hiroshi.

This he knew for sure; he wanted to meet the real her, more than anything he could remember wanting. For a moment, only for a moment, he allowed himself to ponder a more romantic course of action – a thought that instantly caused the boy to blush and change the subject, albeit with a small grin on his face.

From the corner of the desk, he heard a faint chime, the familiar announcement of new mail.

[From: BlackRose {theworld}  
  
To: Kite {theworld}

Subj: Change in plans

Heya. I know you might not get this 'cause of that bug on your computer, but I thought it was worth a try, and you probably figured it out anyway. I just found out they're doing maintenance tonight, so I'm going to turn in early. I'll see you tomorrow!

-BR :-)]

Hiroshi blinked incredulously. (Maintenance? I didn't hear anything about this.) His hands worked even faster than his mind, sending a response in under a minute.

[From: Kite {theworld}

To: BlackRose {theworld}

Subj: Maintenance?

This is the first I've heard of it. Did they just announce it?]

He fired off the mail with a hasty click of the mouse; another minute passed, and a white box of text appeared on screen, the hallmark of the desktop's built-in instant messenger service.

[BlackRose: Hey there! Wasn't sure if you were online or not. The message went up on the boards an hour ago. It wasn't really specific, system administration just said they needed to shut down all servers for maintenance.]

Hiroshi arched his brow, intrigued. [Kite: That's odd. I met with Lios tonight, and he didn't say anything about needing to shut down the game.]

[Really? Hmm... I don't know what to make of this either, but it could have something to do with what's been going on.]

He felt tempted to brief her on what Ryoko had told him, but stopped himself; in part fearing that his messenger had been bugged as well, but more because he had yet to see the log Ryoko mentioned. [So much for our plans tonight, huh?]

The boy watched as black text appeared on the outline of the IM box, indicating that BlackRose was typing. [We had plans? I thought we were just going to hit random fields again.]

[And that doesn't count as plans?] he shot back, chuckling offline. To clarify his tone, he threw in a grinning emote.

[Hmph. A true gentleman would have made arrangements beforehand!]

[Is that a hint?] he asked, masking levity with another smiley face.

There was a long pause, a relative silence before his eyes. He saw that she was typing again, but no message appeared; ten seconds turned to thirty, and then to a full minute. The second minute rolled by just as discretely, and he wondered to himself whether one of them was lagging.

Finally, words appeared below his in the chat box – more accurately, one word. [Maybe.]

Hiro wasn't quick to respond. (Maybe? Why did she take so long to say that?) In his mind's eye, he saw her – a vague, undefined 'her' – typing in a much more lengthy sentence, and hitting the backspace key over and over, obviously unsatisfied with the words her hands kept choosing.

Unbeknownst to him, a flush of warmth crept up the sides of his face. [Then maybe I have an idea after all,] he typed, a half-truth at best that nonetheless got him to start pondering ideas.

[Oh?]

[Yep. You're not busy tomorrow, are you?]

He saw her response coming a mile away. [Not at all. What do you have in mind?]

Hiroshi smirked as he answered her. [Heh heh... you'll find out.] (And probably right after I do.)

[I'd better :-)]

Before he could further reassure her, she 'spoke' again. [Anyway, I think I'll log off for the night. What time do you want to meet tomorrow?]

[How does 2 in the afternoon sound?] Arbitrarily, he added, [I'll be on Delta server.]

[Got it. It's a date, then. See ya there!]

[BlackRose has logged off - 22:47 on 2/7/11]

Something inside of him got a lot lighter at the word 'date'.

* * *

The shoes played their melody against the concrete, clopping quietly amidst his surroundings, the neighborhood locked in his memory down to the last square of sidewalk. His hands filled the pockets of a dark red windbreaker, which contrasted with the blue of his jeans and the black of his t-shirt.

He felt the wind playing with a stray clump of his hair, and didn't bother to brush it down, his focus instead on the path in front of him, his attention in another place entirely – for once, a place not at all serious, at least not anymore. School, life, the world, his friends, movies... his mind jumped from topic to topic in classic 'Six Degrees' fashion, the weakest of connections leading him from one subject to the next, the sign of a mind trying hard not to think of anything in particular.

The mind he had to put aside when he became Kite; not always, but often enough.

Before too long he found himself at the Kugara residence, which stood out amidst the other houses, even though it looked just like them. He strode up the driveway and to the front door, his hand seeking out the doorbell almost of its own volition.

The door creaked open, revealing Yasuhiko, with more color and life to his face than in recent memory; seeing Hiroshi, he smiled and waved his friend in. "Hey, Hiro! C'mon in!"

"Hey, Yasu," he said as he stepped into the house. He bent down and pulled off his shoes. "You're looking a lot better."

"A few hot meals will do that to you," the taller youth replied.

Hiroshi followed Yasuhiko as he headed towards the stairs. "So what was it you wanted to see me about?" he asked.

"I got a mail from Balmung," said Yasu as he set foot on the first step. "He said he had to get something to you offline, a log about a meeting he had."

"Right, he met Dean in the game."

His friend threw an odd look at him over his shoulder. "You know about it?"

Hiroshi nodded. "Mm-hmm. Ryoko told me about it last night, but she didn't give me the details."

Two steps later, the boys ascended to the second floor. "I see... yeah, it looks like that guy Dean told Balmung and the others that someone else was controlling Stolls, and they found out he's some kind of program."

"I've been thinking about that," said Hiro. "It just doesn't make any sense though, who would put something like that in the game, and for what?"

Yasu waved dismissively as he rounded the corner, through the doorway to his bedroom. "No idea, although for all I know it could be like that one kid who got trapped in the game... Tsukasa, that was his name."

Hiroshi took a seat on the bed as Yasuhiko claimed the desk chair. Near the pillows, he noticed a small pile of paper, the printed letters looking quite a bit like a chat log. "That's it?"

"Yeah," he gestured to the paper, "go ahead and check it out."

The younger boy picked up the pages and started reading; with the important points spoiled already, he was less than surprised, but the context of the conversation left him obviously unsettled. (So he keeps changing characters... maybe there's a pattern to this? Did someone set it up that way intentionally?) The presence of Helba threw in a whole new layer of confusion, her words revealing and maddeningly cryptic at once. (What does she have to do with this?)

"There was also this, which I just got today." The chair squeaked faintly as Yasuhiko spun towards his monitor. Hiro heard keys clacking and the mouse click once, and then nothing over the humming of the computer fan.

Reading the last line on the paper, Hiroshi looked up and set the log aside. "What is it?"

"A mail from Balmung, I just got it today, just an hour before you arrived." He tapped a finger to the screen. "Have a look."

[From: Balmung {theworld}

To: Orca {theworld}

Subj: Mail from Lios

Something else you should pass on to Kite; I got a mail from Lios last night, that he, in turn, received from that character I told you about – Dean. He has some limited capacity to send mail, and this one was sent to system administration not long after we spoke with him. Lios said he was with Kite when he received it, and they passed it on to me. I have most of it cleared up, and I couldn't think of much else that fits, but there's a part in the middle I'm not sure about.

Message begins:

Fwd: I'm not crazy

Lios, I don't know what you've heard, but she's wrong. I can prove it! I'm me, I have to be. Max knows. Contact Max. MKerrek {undernet/asaraeast}. "Open your -ask, Ta--n." = password. No one left I can count on. They're all co-pro--sed. He will know. He will know. He will know.

Message ends.

The domain names appear to be for Asara Corporation, so my guess is he wants us to get ahold of someone there, someone named Max – a quick Googling identified him as a business agent for the company, Max Kerrek. I'm not sure what that password actually is, though if he wants us to email this 'Max' then I think that needs to be the subject.

- Balmung]

"Max, at Asara..." Yasuhiko thought aloud. "Does this have anything to do with that big conference going on?"

["Open your -ask, Ta--n."] "T, a... n... is that... could that be 'Tamon'? TamonAdillo?"

Yasu looked up at Hiro. "What's TamonAdillo?"

(That's it... that has to be it. Max, of course!) "Back when you were in a coma, when I first met Dean... he was working with this guy, Max, from Asara Corporation. Max's character name was TamonAdillo."

"So he knows this guy... where does that leave us?"

"Well, we have to get to him somehow," said Hiroshi. "Balmung was probably right about that password, that's probably how we tell him it's us. Or, uh... well, something like that. The point is, we need to tell him that."

Yasu idly scraped his teeth together, sliding his jaw left and right as he read the text again. "That name sounds familiar... what could that -ask word be? Task? Mask?"

"Bask, cask... what else fits there?"

"That's all I can think of."

The boys stopped their vocal ponderings, silently trying letters and numbers into that empty slot. A minute, but tangible sense of discouragement began to arise, bringing with it frustration at being stymied by a single letter of a foreign alphabet.

Out of nowhere, Yasuhiko asked, "His character name... how do you spell that?"

"Tamon? Uh... T-a-m-o-n-a-d-i-l-l-o."

"TamonAdillo." Murmuring to himself, Yasu grabbed a pencil and a post-it note, writing the letters out on its yellow surface. "...l-l-o... I'm telling you, I feel like I should know what this is."

Hiroshi's brown eyes watched the tip of the pencil, hearing it scuff and scratch as it was dragged against the note, the only noise aside from the computer fan and their own breathing.

"Bask... cask... TamonAd... wait, cask." Yasuhiko gasped, sitting upright. "Cask."

Staring oddly at his friend, Hiroshi asked, "What is it?"

He spun in his chair, looking up at Hiro. "Amontillado."

Hiro drew his head back sharply. "Amonti... wh-what?"

"It's an anagram for a story," Yasuhiko explained. "The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allen Poe. He changed the letters around for his character name."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. We covered it in class, remember? Look, the letters even match up." Yasu hastily wrote 'Amontillado' on the note between the two names, pointing to the letters they shared. "See?"

The light dawned on Hiroshi, and quickly. "You're right... that means the word is 'cask.' Let's email him, we have to let him know who we are. Maybe he can help us find Dean!"

* * *

From: Orca {theworld}

To: MKerrek {undernet/asaraeast}

Subj: Open your cask, Tamon

It's me, Kite. Dean has been kidnapped, and someone else is controlling his character in 'The World' to spy on me and my friends. We think they're looking for Morganna, but I don't really know what they're after, or who 'they' even are.

Please help.

- Hiroshi

- End of Chapter 14


	15. Treatise

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. Happy labor day, all. Enjoy that day off, I know I will, the only way I know how – a brisk jog, some Unreal Tournament, watch scantily clad catgirls run around selling things in FFXI, and get another chapter done. Because goddamnit, I don't have anything better to do.

That in mind... just a leeeeettle bit more fluff going on, and yes, there will be plot at some point. Just go with me on this. In the words of Final Fantasy Tactics, I had a good feeling!

This chapter written under the influence of: Deus Ex OST: DuClare Chateau

Chapter 15 – Treatise

* * *

From: Orca {theworld}

To: Balmung; Terajima Ryoko; Sanjuro; BlackRose {theworld}

Subj: Meeting

By now, you're all aware that something unusual is happening, something that involves Kite, and more specifically the man he met while I was in a coma. I don't yet know what's going on, but we need to coordinate our efforts, ensure that each of us is up to speed with everything that's happened.

Kite and I are trying to track down someone who knows Dean in the real world, and may be able to tell us what's happening. In the meantime, I suggest we meet up and discuss the situation. I'll secure a private room on Delta server at 3pm. Let me know when you get online and I'll invite you in.

- Orca

* * *

A soothing, prolonged chime accompanied his entrance to 'The World', by now as much a part of his daily routine as eating and sleeping. The Aqua Capital stretched around him, forming the small enclosure that held the town's Chaos Gate, along with over a dozen players at the moment.

Kite was quick to move away from the Gate, clearing a path for incoming and outgoing adventurers. A glance at his heads-up display told him he had fifteen minutes to spare.

Perfect. Almost.

He was simultaneously proud and frustrated, excited and worried; the walk home had provided him with nothing in the way of an idea, any idea, of what BlackRose and he could actually do on their date. One thing he had set in stone was that this would not be like their other attempts at doing something fun, which invariably wound up being the same thing they always did, just without the drama. No monsters, no dungeons, no treasure; just a boy and a girl enjoying each other's company.

Beyond the warrior he had come to know and trust, the friend he had confided in and was repaid in kind, he thought of her first as a strong-willed, yet sweet girl he found himself growing ever more attracted to. The feelings were ambiguous only in that he couldn't find words to describe them; he knew what they were, and knew that she was feeling the same, even if neither of them could understand or explain them.

The frustration and worry came from just four words, all echoing loudly in his preoccupied mind. (What do we do?)

Feelings were all well and good, but he knew they needed actions to back them up. Even if they both felt the same way about each other, what could come of it if neither did anything, if neither acted on those feelings? The question was rhetorical; he knew what would come of that, and didn't want to spend any time thinking about it.

His ruminations distracted him as he casually ambled down the broadway, stripping him of any perceptive power, a fact that was punctuated when he bumped right into another player, causing both to jump back, startled.

"Ahh!" yelped Kite, embarrassed. "S-sorry, I wasn't..." he looked up, and all the color drained right back out of his cheeks, as something much less pleasant settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, it's you!"

The Wavemaster Stolls righted himself, giving his robe a firm tug with his free hand to straighten it out. "Hey, man," he said in his familiar amiable tone. "Need to watch where you're going."

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Kite explained half-heartedly, bowing his head to Stolls, quickly catching on that this incarnation of his companion was the good one; the fatigue, the tired honesty of Dean's projected self were long gone, replaced with something akin to the skin of a piece of wax fruit.

"It's all right. How you doin', Kite? How goes it?"

"Okay, I guess," Kite said, looking into the eyes of a thief, and smiling with the lips of a liar. "I haven't had much luck figuring out what's going on, and it looks like no one's seen any of those characters since last night."

"That figures," replied the Wavemaster. "I've been finding out what I can, but it's like these things are one step ahead of me. I haven't even seen that other guy, the one we saw."

(Yeah, I'll bet you haven't,) screamed the more gung-ho portion of Hiroshi's mind. The realization hadn't hit home until now; every passing second that he was in this impostor's presence was both an insult and a threat. (What are you after?)

"That recent update wiped a few recent posts off the boards, too; I thought I heard about another sighting, but I can't be sure." Stolls let out a frustrated grunt.

(Other posts? Did that actually happen, or is he just trying to see what I know?) Unconcerned with caution, Kite answered honestly. "I just got in myself. The last one I heard about was that guy in black, which was yesterday. I never even got to the field."

"I see." Under his breath, Stolls muttered, "Is that a fact."

It was still loud enough for Kite to hear, but he pretended to pay no mind. "What are you up to?"

Stolls returned the favor. "Kite... listen, there's something I need to tell you." He leveled a stern gaze at the boy. "Something's going to happen. Something big."

Kite's veiled disbelief and hostility were almost replaced by confusion. "What is it?"

"Everything comes down to this," said the magician, raising his staff and gesturing to his left. "The World, Cyber Connect, maybe even the whole shebang. It's all dependent on one thing that we may not even understand, may not even have a purpose anymore."

Confusion took center stage. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about her," he said matter-of-factly. "Morganna, or Aura, take your pick. No one knows anymore. Not a goddamn thing. Everything about this game is based on programs nobody understands, a poem written by a madman for a woman that may have been unstable herself."

The façade began to fall away, and Kite looked at his alien companion with eyes wide, yet focused. "You're talking about Harald... aren't you?"

The Wavemaster nodded his head. "We can't trust any of it, Kite. It's that simple."

"So what do we do?"

"We do nothing," replied Stolls with a touch of acid. "I'll take care of this, and you..." he paused, almost deliberately for emphasis, and turned away. "Stay out of my way. And stay offline."

Kite's hostility was renewed with the order, and he grit his teeth as his blood began to boil. (Who does this guy think he IS?!) he silently growled. "What do you want?" he challenged, breaking what little pretense remained between them. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

There was no answer. As the words left Kite's mouth, golden rings faded into view, sliding vertically along Stolls' body, gating him out of the virtual environment, leaving the boy with anger all too real.

An anger which barely surpassed his fear.

* * *

From: MKerrek {undernet/asaraeast}

To: Orca {theworld}

Subj: Re: Open your cask, Tamon

I remember you, Hiroshi. Judging from where this email came from, I can only imagine that the problem is far worse than you describe – more than just surveillance. I'll tell you everything I know, but more importantly I have something for you that may be useful in finding out what's going on.

There's a small park five blocks north of your house, we can meet there; as soon as you reply, if you can, I'll head there and wait for you. If you can't meet today, well... we'll have to work something else out, then. Anyway, reply as soon as you can and we'll set up a time.

- Max

* * *

"Hey, there you are!"

Kite sat on the edge of the pier, his legs dangling off the side, little more than a foot above water. He perked up at the voice, and glanced over his shoulder. With a smile, he waved over the new arrival, and scooted over to make room.

BlackRose strode towards the pier, her boots clapping loudly against the stone floor. Wordlessly, she took a seat alongside Kite. The tip of her blade scraped along the ground, reminding her of its burden; she looked distant for a moment, and the weapon vanished from sight, a minor cosmetic touch that told him she didn't expect to need it.

He smiled, remembering how his twin blades were similarly disposed. "I'm glad you could make it."

She chuckled. "Was there a doubt I wouldn't?"

Kite shook his head. "Not at all."

"Did you think of anything to do on our, um... date?" There was noticeable hesitation in her words; he thought he saw her twitch, as if nervous.

The thought only made him more so. Realizing she had called his bluff, he replied, "Well, how about we just sit here?"

"Right here?" she asked. "That doesn't sound very imaginative."

"We're always going somewhere," he said in response, coming upon some earlier thoughts he had almost forgotten. "Either treasure hunting, or on some mission, or someplace where all we do is run around, and fight, and try to find answers." He looked over at her. "I thought it might be nice to just relax for a little... for a change."

"Hmm." She smirked, then let out another soft chuckle. "Hmm hmm... you know what? That does sound kinda nice, when you put it that way."

The Heavy Blade scooted in closer, almost leaning on Kite. As if by reflex, his arm curled around her upper back; his hand clasped her shoulder, gently urging her even closer. She happily complied, sliding her arm around his waist and letting her body rest against his.

He heard a contented sigh, and couldn't help but smile.

The two sat there in silence for several minutes, just gazing out at the water, watching as other people, other parties came and left; some on the broadway, some on the boats. A few of them Kite recognized – he gave a nod to the Blademaster Alicia as she sailed by, along with a handful of others in far more colorful and garish costumes.

As he watched her disappear down the canal, Kite steeled his nerves and spoke to his own companion. "BlackRose?"

He 'felt' her turn her head towards him. "Hmm?"

(This is it,) he told himself. (Now or never... I don't want to just let it go without saying anymore... I just want to see her.) He bit the mother of all bullets, and spoke again. "Would you... like to meet sometime... offline?"

Her hesitation was tangible, though her reasons were not; was she afraid? Surprised? Embarassed? He couldn't be sure. "Yeah, in the real world," he said in a soft voice. "I-I... I've wanted to meet you for a while now."

The swordswoman gulped, and loudly so. "Yeah... I, uh... m-me too..."

Hiroshi inhaled sharply, tilting his head to meet her gaze. "Back then, it always seemed like things kept..." his voice faded into nothingness, his mind knowing how to finish the sentence but his mouth unwilling to; an admission that things simply hadn't gone as planned.

"...getting in the way," she finished for him. "And now this, too..."

He sighed, let his head hang for a moment, as did she. Through his closest ear, he heard her mumble to herself, "It's not fair."

"BlackRose?"

Their eyes met again. "It's not fair," she repeated. "It's over. We won, it's supposed to be over."

His own self-stereotype kicked in, as he clammed up, permitting her to continue unchecked. "I want to just play the game now. And this... these things, they keep happening to us." Irritation crept into her dialogue, and her grip on Kite grew tighter. "I want to be just another player again... to have fun." A long pause, pushing a minute; then she added, "To meet you, too."

(She's right,) he thought, a thought which tugged hard on his darker side, the side that wondered if it ever would truly be 'over'.

Hiroshi closed his eyes, for a moment forgetting that he was sitting alone in his bedroom. The sounds of the city filled his ears – the chatter of pedestrians, water splashing at the pier, the cries of hawkers and traders selling their wares. Though he couldn't feel the weight of BlackRose on his shoulder, the smooth texture of his leather glove which stood between his hand and her shoulder, for a moment – just for a moment – he was there.

His thoughts were gone, replaced by that moment.

Kite felt the beginnings of a smile return to his face, one which quickly grew as he realized what the two of them had said.

"Then, let's," he said, his words conveying a brute simplicity.

One which clearly puzzled the Heavy Blade. "Huh?"

He opened his eyes, gazing deep into the wine-colored orbs of his companion. "Someday soon. When this is done. We'll go somewhere together... in the real world." He was surprised at his own boldness, and didn't have time to blush. "We both want to, right?"

BlackRose turned her body towards his, her hand slipping from its perch on the opposite side of his waist. "Yeah..." she began, as if allowing him to speak again; she preempted him when she continued. "Yeah, why can't we? We've done these kinds of things before." She was now a half-step shy of exclaiming her revelations. "Of course we can!"

Kite followed her lead. "We'll do what we do best." A smiling emote found its way from his monitor from hers, which caused her to share the expression on her own face.

"I don't even know what I was thinking," she said, lifting a hand and waving it dismissively. "Getting all upset like that..."

The boy never broke eye contact with her. "You were just tired," he said. "We all are... believe me, I feel the same way. We all have to let it out sometime."

She giggled. "You're right. I had a feeling you'd say something like that."

Kite grinned awkwardly. "Am I that predictable?"

"Maybe," she said. "But you do know how to cheer someone up."

The two warriors shared a laugh, completely oblivious to their surroundings, or even their posture; both had since drawn their legs up off the pier, and were now facing each other, still within arms' reach, though their hands were now at their sides. As their mutual merriment died down, both were left simply smiling at one another, unwilling to move and unable to speak, content to simply be with each other.

Without warning, BlackRose took initiative and leaned forward, wrapping her arms firmly around Kite and holding him close to her. The boy barely maintained enough of his faculties to meet her embrace, locking his hands around her back; somehow, their heads found their way to opposite shoulders, and there they remained – the boy and the girl in each other's arms, BlackRose's head on Kite's shoulder and vice versa.

Unthinkingly, Kite lifted a hand and idly stroked the short locks of the Heavy Blade's pink hair. She tilted her head back slightly, as if responding to his touch.

"Do you still want to meet offline?" she asked.

"I do," he answered. "I want to meet the real you... the girl that I owe so much to."

Somewhere, on the other side of the city, he could imagine that faceless, featureless girl blushing, as he was sure he was.

"You will."

- End of Chapter 15


	16. Bend the Rules

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts,) [text,] {email domains}. At long last, we have us some answers. Emphasis on 'some'. Beyond the fluff, lies substance. All this, of course, is to once again cover for the fact that I have nothing in particular to add about this chapter. So, uh... read on :)

This chapter written to the tune of: Godsmack – Running Blind

Chapter 16 – Bend the Rules

* * *

Spartan in furnishings, the room was just large enough for its purpose; to accommodate for a half-dozen people. Light came from sconces affixed to the brick walls, and from a lantern mounted on the round wooden table, which was surrounded by six chairs. A sturdy oak door sat on the south wall, locked and bolted shut, ensuring absolute security and privacy for the occupants.

"All right, let's retrace our steps."

Balmung stood from his chair, assuming a commanding posture. The others – BlackRose, Kite, Sanjuro, Ryoko, and Orca – watched every move he made, some nodding as he spoke. "We have four appearances by this 'Dean' character, whatever he is." He made a fist, and then extended his fingers one by one. "The man in black, with Kite and Stolls three days ago. The prisoner, the Wavemaster, and then Dean himself."

"Each time, he's been trying to tell us something," said BlackRose, turning to Kite. "He knew your name, that first time."

"Right. The other players said that he was looking for Stolls, he probably wasn't counting on seeing me. I think he wanted to get my attention."

"To let you know something else was going on," said Balmung in assent. He glanced over at Ryoko. "And then later, you two found the letter from the prisoner."

The winged Axewoman spoke upon being prompted. "As far as we can tell, he was trying to tell us who was involved. We now know it's a man named Felix Croker, who is tied to Dean's past."

"The drug dealer," Sanjuro added.

"Meanwhile, someone bugged Kite's computer," Balmung continued, "to intercept his email; apparently, anything that was relevant to what was going on was deleted. Including fragmented email that Dean was attempting to send to you, and mail from BlackRose saying she also received the same mail."

"That confirmed that whoever's playing Stolls is an imposter." Sanjuro's visible eye jumped from one fellow player to the next. "And that they were after Morganna."

BlackRose frowned. "Which doesn't make any sense. She's gone now, isn't she?"

"Gone, or in some kind of remission," said Balmung. "There's only a handful of people who could say for sure, and none of them are here. It's also possible that Dean simply heard them wrong, and meant Aura, or something else entirely."

A lull in the discussion prompted Kite to speak up. "Have you tried contacting Helba again? Or Wiseman, or anybody?"

"I haven't seen Wiseman around in a while," explained Balmung, "and Helba... well, I have my own suspicions, but first let's finish going over what's happened so far." He waited a few seconds for any objections, and heard none. "Then, you said you ran into him in the middle of the night, correct?"

"Yeah, it was late last night, around one in the morning." Hiroshi took his hand off the controller to scratch an itch on the back of his other wrist. "He acted tired, and confused; he didn't know the date, and he asked if I had seen him online before. Then he said to 'pay attention', because he... or whoever's controlling him, I guess, was watching me."

Balmung nodded grimly. "Confirming that you're under surveillance. And then we all met him as himself, later that day."

Orca joined the conversation for the first time, eyeing his fellow Descendent. "According to the log, he said he was experiencing some kind of cycle... each time he died, or lost consciousness, he became someone else – some other incarnation."

Terajima folded her hands on the table. "And then we found out he's an AI..."

"But for what reason?" asked Balmung. "That's what I don't understand. They created some program to run through aspects of this Dean guy for... what? What's the purpose?"

"Clearly, they wanted him out of the way," was Orca's reply. "They have someone impersonate to him online, probably so no one comes looking for him, and to make sure that nobody finds out what's going on."

"Hang on a minute." Sanjuro leaned forward, assuming partial control of the discussion. "Now, they impersonate him while they have a copy of him run some sort of program... and they're after Morganna. Is it possible that Dean and Morganna are somehow connected?"

The other Heavy Blade gave the samurai an odd look. "Connected? You mean... they're using Dean to get to Morganna?"

"To draw her out somehow." Orca rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe the character is a front for another program... like a virus."

Balmung interjected, sounding frustrated. "Perhaps the two are related, but we must also consider that someone willingly put this... 'program' into the game, which raises a few questions. First of all, who did this? And why personalize it to be this man, specifically? Why not just leave him alone and run it as a normal program?"

"Maybe he was investigating them," Kite suggested. "He is a detective. Maybe he was onto them?"

"Possibly." The focused look in Balmung's eyes dissipated, and the Blademaster sat down in his chair, propping an elbow on the armrest with his chin in his hand. "Anyway, and then... the mail to Lios. You said you received word from that address?"

Orca faced away from Balmung, addressing the rest of the party. "Max Kerrek is a business agent from Asara Corporation, which is a rival of Cyber Connect. Kite said he played the character TamonAdillo several months ago."

The eyes of the female Heavy Blade shot wide open. "Tamon?!" she exclaimed. "He's involved too??"

"His address was in a scrambled mail from Dean that Lios received," said Kite, indicating Balmung with a nod. "Balmung cleared up most of it, and we got ahold of Max; he says he can help us, and wants to meet with me offline. I'll go after we're done here and see what I can find out."

"Good," replied the Azure Sky. "See what he says."

"There was something strange though," Kite added. "I saw Stolls before BlackRose and I met up today. He was acting... well, rude. It was very unlike him; he told me to 'stay out of his way' and that they couldn't trust the system – Aura. It's like the guy wasn't trying at all to act like him."

He heard Ryoko ask, "He wasn't trying?"

"I-it's like," the boy stammered, "like he knew. Knew that I knew he wasn't Dean, I mean. And... or it didn't matter anymore. I don't know."

A harsh male voice interrupted and startled all present. "I'm afraid there is a more immediate issue at hand."

Six heads turned to face the new arrival, clad in the familiar skin of an NPC shopkeeper, who had somehow gotten past the door without a sound.

"Lios," said Kite. "What is it?"

"Have you been listening in the whole time?" BlackRose inquired, her tone almost sharp enough to call it a challenge.

"Yes," was his simple reply. "There is a matter that I would like you to attend to. As you know, the system was recently shut down for maintenance. During that period of time, access to 'The World' and its message board was restricted to administrators only. I discovered a post on the boards that detailed the location of another character. It went up just minutes before we started shutting down servers. I erased the message and locked the field before we restarted the game."

"So you want us to get to this character before anyone else does," said Balmung. "Is that right?"

"Correct," answered Lios. "I will unlock the field when you are ready, and seal it behind you to ensure no one else interferes. You will be able to gate out as normal, but I want to make absolutely sure that you are the only ones there with it."

"But, if the character was mentioned on the boards," began Ryoko, "doesn't that mean someone already did find it?"

In response, Lios gestured towards the wall opposite him, behind where Sanjuro was seated. Everyone turned as the wall lit up, suddenly covered with a translucent text window.

[From: Tayine-S7  
Topic: Re: Event Character on Delta Server

I just saw a glimpse of another one that looked out of place; he was dressed in blue, but I didn't get a good look at him before he ran off. It was at Theta: Greedy Law's Messenger. There was another character on Sigma server that looked kinda like him; I think they're related.]

Disbelief filled BlackRose's eyes, and laced her words. "Again?! How many times is he going to appear?"

"I think this is the last time," said Lios. "Take a look at this." Another window appeared, covering the last one.

[From: Tech Support  
To: Lios {systemadmin}  
Subj: Fwd: -im- is ru-nin- ou-

T- Lio- (To Lios)

I ho-e you go- my -ast one. (I hope you got my last one.)

I h--rd them. It g-es d--n t--orr-w. (I heard them. It goes down tomorrow.)

The- --ll -ry to -et her. (They will try to get her.)

St-p him. --op me. (Stop him. Stop me.)]

"In the parentheses is my best guess. Something is going to happen tonight, and judging by what you've all said, it would seem to involve that which is at the core of 'The World'."

"Then we don't have much time," said Balmung. "As I see it, we have two objectives." He looked at Kite. "One, we have to find where Dean is in the real world. Two, we must get to this last character and find out what, exactly, these people are trying to do, and stop them if we can."

"I'll meet with Max," Kite acknowledged. "The rest of you go to that field and find this new character."

There was a chorus of agreement from the other players.

"I will wait for you all at the weapon shop on Theta server," Lios announced, just before teleporting out of the room.

Kite prepared to follow suit, scooting his chair out and standing up from the table. "Orca, mail Max and tell him I'm on my way to the park." He cast his gaze over his friends, and smiled in earnest. "Everybody... good luck."

BlackRose smiled back at him, her expression relaxed. "You be careful, okay?" she told him, making audible the concern that was absent from her eyes.

"Yeah, I will. And you too."

* * *

"Everything's in place?"

"Everything we need. Just have to wait for her now."

"Which 'her' are we talking about, now?"

"The hacker. Once we have her, we move to phase two."

"Right. Collect that AI. That's why we need Helba, right?"

"Something like tha... what the hell?"

"Shit, he's waking up! Get the tranquilizer! Go!"

* * *

His feet kicked away flecks of gravel and tiny rocks, scraping with every step along the path. Around him, a park in the very loosest sense of the word; a small patch of green smack in the middle of the suburbs, little more than a narrow walkway through a half-acre of land, carpeted with grass and populated by maple trees. A few benches sat along the path, and a few more flanked a tiny pond.

There were seven others with Hiroshi in the park that he could see, but the one on the nearest bench caught his eye – a blond westerner clad in a purple-and-gray jogging suit, looking just like the description Yasuhiko had phoned to him.

A purpose to his stride, Hiro approached the man on the bench, speaking as he neared. "Open your cask, Tamon."

The man stiffened, then rose from the bench and faced his addressor. His face could only be described as boyish; his jaw, nose and chin were smooth and rounded, and his blue eyes shone brightly in the afternoon sun. The grown-up poster boy of the all-American youth.

"Hello, Hiroshi," greeted Max. "Thank you for coming."

"Hello, Mr. Kerrek." It took the boy only a second to reply, though it took ten for him to grasp that the man was speaking to him in Japanese.

"If what your friend said is true, then there's little time for catching up," said the business agent. "You can fill me in on the details later, but for now I'll tell you what I know."

Hiroshi let his numerous questions lay unasked for the moment. "Please."

"About two weeks ago, Dean contacted me and said he found out something that had to do with Asara Corporation, and specifically our CEO, Aldous Rosenberg. He was the man who authorized our... prior excursion, if you will. I'm sure you remember."

(How could I forget?) thought Hiro. (That's how I met Dean.)

"He wasn't specific, he was just asking me to keep my eyes open. Said it also had to do with someone he used to know, from prison." Max paused, taking a cautious glance left and right. Confident that no one was paying close attention to their conversation, he turned and sat back down on the bench. "He said he might need my help later on."

"Did he say what was going on?" asked Hiroshi.

Max grumbled, brow creased and adding unnatural wrinkles to his forehead. "No, that's the part that bothers me. He's usually fairly explicit in things like this; I can only imagine that he knew just enough to know how serious it was. However, as a precaution," he reached into the pocket of his jogging suit, "he sent me this."

He pulled a small, folded-up envelope out of his pocket. "It's his room key and apartment address. Since I stopped hearing from him, I haven't gotten around to going and checking it out, and with the conference started I'll have even less time to do it. But, if anybody could tell you what's really going on, he could." He offered the envelope to Hiroshi. "And if not him, his notes."

Hiro timidly accepted the envelope; he felt the metal of the key between his thumb and forefinger, buried in the folds of paper and glue. "His notes?"

"He's very meticulous in his notes; reports, documentation... if you can find anything there, it should tell you what you need to know." The agent reached into his pocket again, and pulled out a small handful of yen. "This should cover transportation if you need it."

He was less hesitant about taking the money. "Thanks," he said gratefully. "I'll go check it out."

"All right. I better get going. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Actually, there was one other thing I wanted to know."

Max stood up, watching Hiroshi expectantly. "Shoot."

Hiroshi met Max's eyes, his own hands stashing his newfound possessions. "Why did you name your character after the story? 'The Cask of Amontillado'?"

The agent laughed quietly. "You know, you're one of four people who figured that one out." The laughter died, and he grew more serious. "It's complicated. Ask me again sometime, when you're a little less in a hurry."

Remembering his goal, Hiroshi nodded and started down the path, towards the park entrance. "Will do!" he said as he walked off, seeing Max wave out of the corner of his eye.

Sliding his hands into his pants pockets, Hiro clasped the envelope in his hands and gave it a squeeze. (We're getting closer,) he thought. (Hang in there, Dean.)

- End of Chapter 16


	17. Missing Pieces

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine (before the clear game stuff, I should specify). (Thoughts are like this). Text and email domains will have to go without denotation for now because formatting just got even MORE retarded. This is where I'd emote a sigh if there were any characters that weren't letters or numbers I could use.

For those of you who are just dying to know how Dean's half of the story will proceed (because I know nothing gets you going like knowing the stories of characters that the series creator never intended to be), imagine Die Hard. Okay, now imagine if instead of a tough, resourceful off-duty cop, it starred a not-as-tough, occasionally-resourceful-but-mostly-lucky on-duty non-cop who tends to bitch and moan about how life has really started to suck in the past couple of months. Oh, and ninjas, there'll be ninjas somewhere. With jetpacks and lightsabers. And a cameo by Christopher Walken.

You have been warned. Oh, and watch for the plug for the Best Game Evar. (fanboyism off)

This chapter done to the tune of: Lo Pro - Sunday

Chapter 17 – Missing Pieces

* * *

The lobby clock counted off the fourth hour of the afternoon, its second hand incessantly ticking, pacing in endless circles. Keys clattered from the desk as the lone clerk tended to his duties; air gurgled in the ventilation ducts above, propelled further into the lobby by a pair of ceiling fans. Opposite the revolving door leading outside, a potted plant sat on a glass table, flanked on both sides by elevators.

Hiroshi looked around apprehensively as he stepped out of the door, his shoes falling on the red carpeting which covered every inch of the floor; the walls, a shade of tan. Near the desk, a camera stared long and hard at him, as the clerk merely gave a short nod in his direction.

He felt alien, out of his element; the key was firmly in his sweaty hand, the only evidence that he belonged there. Hiding his anxiety, he pressed forward towards the elevators, feeling security's unseen eyes on his back.

As he pressed the elevator button, Hiroshi found a few things to ponder, not the least of which being how a relatively inexpensive apartment building could afford such protection.

The next question was how said security could not notice one of their own tenants being carried out, unconscious, by a handful of men.

He reached out and pressed the '3' button, and watched the doors slide shut, trapping him in the elevator's narrow confines, not quite the size of a walk-in closet. (Here goes nothing,) he thought as the elevator began to rise. (I wonder if anything will even be there, if they went through the place alreadyâ€)

The digital counter on the panel blinked to two, then three; the doors parted, and Hiro stepped off the elevator and onto the third floor, into a hallway he had a hunch was like the one above and below it – long, taupe in color, sturdy-looking doors every so often on both sides of the hall, old blue carpeting running the length and framed with polished wooden trim.

(What if somebody knows I don't belong here? His neighbors, or someone else in the building? What if they're watching his apartment, too?)

He tried in vain to shake the impression of eyes watching his every step. Still clutching the key, Hiroshi headed for room 306. Slick from his sweat, he had to adjust his hold on it, tucking it back into a tight fist.

(It's so quiet hereâ€ did someone really break in? Helba said he's been online for about two days or so...)

He arrived at the door, and raised the key to turn the lock.

"Excuse me."

Her voice was gentle, but no less of a surprise. He turned with a start, and relaxed a little when he saw the speaker – a slender young woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, with short black hair, clad in a gray custodian's jumpsuit. She held a hard plastic case in one hand, and a ring of keys in the other.

She nodded her head in courtesy. "Were you going in?"

"Y-yeah... I'm sorry, is something wrong?" he asked, fingers tightening around the key. He tensed his muscles, ready to bolt if any one of the worst-case scenarios he imagined came true.

Smiling, she gestured to the door with the case. "No, it's all right. Mr. Stollis called four days ago about problems with his phone, he said he was getting a lot of background noise. I'm here to have a look. Do you know him?"

Hiroshi nodded, inwardly relieved that the repairwoman wasn't about to call him out. "Yeah, he's, uh, a friend of my dad's. I came over to get something from his apartment."

"Ah. Then do you know where he is? I haven't seen him around the building lately."

(She hasn't seen him... she'd have to know if he was kidnapped from inside the apartment, wouldn't she? This doesn't seem right.) "I think he's out of town," he lied, and then added truth. "I called him a few days ago, but he never called back."

A look of concern appeared on her face. "That's odd. I hope it's nothing serious." Her look became more professional. "Anyway, as long as you're here, I'll check on the phone. Is that all right?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied. Unconsciously, his grip loosened on the key; its ridges crossed his fingertips, reminding him of its presence. He brought it out and unlocked the door, pushing inwards with a gentle shove.

The first thing visible was the wide-open bedroom door, home to the only window in the apartment, which allowed light to spill into the main room. The white walls helped to carry the light further, illuminating the kitchenette to his right, a desk and computer in one corner, and a TV/stereo combo in the other.

Hiroshi took tentative steps further into the apartment. The lights came on as the repairwoman flipped a nearby wall switch, and he saw additional details: a neon 'Coors' light, unpowered; an anime-themed calendar, awash with chicken scratchings that were illegible from where he stood; a La-Z-Boy in front of the computer desk; a cordless phone and answering machine on a table near the desk.

Spotting the phone, she hefted her box and strode purposefully towards it. "There we are. This won't take long."

"All right." After a minute, he thought of a follow-up. "Do you mind if I look around? Dad wanted me to pick up a book of his."

"Sure, go right ahead."

"Thanks," he said as he walked towards the bedroom. He heard the locks on her case snap open as he passed through the doorway and started his search.

The first thing he noticed was that the room was quite clean: the bed was made, and the lack of wrinkles in the dark blue sheets or pillows suggested it hadn't been touched in a while; books were neatly stacked on a low rack, which sat beneath a copy of Hopper's "Nighthawks" on the wall. A single dresser sat to the left of the bed, the former of which held up a lamp, two framed pictures, and an alarm clock. Opposite the bed sat the closet, which lay open and equally unused, and to the right of the closet was the bathroom door.

Hiro scanned the room carefully, looking for anything even remotely helpful. The books were a handful of nonfiction titles – some politically oriented, others biographical – mixed with adventure and mystery novels. The pictures were no more important. One was of several police officers, standing before a squad car, one of them kneeling down and petting a friendly-looking Germand Shepherd; the other seemed more recent, a picture of Dean with his parents. The closet contained nothing of interest; shirts of varying color and sleeve length, a black suit jacket and some ties, an empty duffel bag and suitcase on the floor, folded-up towels, but little else.

(Come on, there has to be something here.) He knelt down before the bookshelf and ran his fingers carefully over each and every title, hoping that Dean had hidden something between books, or left some other clue. He ran through all the movie gimmicks he could think of – false bottoms in desk drawers, little notes left in out-of-place books, unlabeled discs or tapes, leftover notes on a pad of paper, or impressions on said pad of paper that could be brought out with pencil rubbings. Nothing worked as far as the bedroom was concerned.

(I can't just start poking around while she's out there. I'll have to wait a little.)

He gingerly sat down on the bed, planting his hands behind him as he leaned back, taking another look around. Again he noted how everything was in pristine condition, how it was obvious that no one else had been in the room since Dean left, and how there were no signs of any kind of struggle, which ran contrary to what his online counterpart had told him.

(So, these guys got through security, broke in here, kidnapped Dean, and left? They would've had to get by security without being seen, while carrying Dean, and make sure the place was clean before they left.) The corner of his lips crooked back, the start of a small frown. (This doesn't seem right.)

"Finished!"

Hiroshi stood up and joined the repairwoman back in the front room; she held the receiver in her hand, and gave a satisfied "mm-hmm!" to herself before hanging up.

"Did you find out what the problem was?" he asked.

She started to pick up her tools, which had been lying around the phone, and put them back in her case. "Yeah, it was just a faulty wire. Sounds okay now." As she finished packing up, she looked over at him. "Did you get... oh, that's right, you have a key. In that case, you can lock up after I leave, right?"

Hiro nodded with a smile. "Yeah, go ahead, I can lock up here."

"Thanks!" she said cheerfully. "See ya!"

The raven-haired boy waited for her to leave; no sooner had the door closed behind her than he sprang for the computer. To his surprise, he noticed that the lights were still on. A quick shake of the mouse caused the monitor to spring to life, and the computer to wake from its idle state.

The desktop layout was similar to his own, icons aligned on the left side of the screen by default; he'd opted for a custom wallpaper, featuring a man – a videogame character, as evidenced by his polygonal body – in a dark trenchcoat, sunglasses and body armor, brandishing a pistol in one hand. The background a field of black, covered by faint crisscrossing lines of gray. On the bottom were the words "Deus Ex", and to the side of the character, "Question Everything".

Hiro licked the back of his lips as he started to search around the desk, and instantly found a plethora of potential clues; sheets of paper were stacked in a loose pile to the left of the keyboard, some of it the output of the printer that sat next to the monitor; the pile itself was held down by a battered tape recorder, which looked nonetheless functional.

As he took his hand off the mouse, the side of his palm brushed against the edge of a small card, which he picked up for a closer look.

'Reminder: Call Masamoto -119'

(That's the emergency number. Is Dean working with the police?) He shrugged the thought aside for a moment, putting down the card and taking the recorder with his left hand. He noted that a good portion of the tape had been used, and hit the 'rewind' button as his other hand settled back on the mouse.

Hiroshi took another look at the screen, reclining into the comfy chair. He recognized the icons for 'The World', Altimit's proprietary mail client, system and computer folders, and shortcuts for various offline games. Curious, he opened the computer folder and began exploring.

It wasn't long before he hit a block. The C: drive was rife with folders, largely nondescript ones at that; none that seemed to jump right out at him and say "over here." He gave the documents folder a double-click, half-wondering if it would really be that simple.

The half in doubt disappeared when he spotted a folder marked 'Casework'. Another double-click, and Hiro was presented with over two dozen documents, some marked with dates, others with people's names, still others with titles he couldn't immediately place. Just then the tape stopped rewinding, clicking in his hand. His index finger found and pressed the 'play' button, and he was greeted with a familiar male voice through its tiny speaker.

"February 2nd, 2:15 AM," said Dean. "Someone was tailing me on the way back from the mall. Silver Range Rover, didn't get the license. I took a roundabout way home just to make sure, and he followed me every step of the way. He broke off about three blocks from the apartmentâ€I don't know, maybe it was a coincidence, but I went pretty far out of the way."

Hiro set the recorder down on the desk, standing it on the flat edge so he could hear. Both hands free, he set to opening up the documents, one by one. The very first one popped up before him, but before any text appeared a small window prompted him to input a password. (Damn. I guess it wouldn't make much sense to let just anyone see this stuff... maybe he wrote it down somewhere, or one of the other documents is unlocked.)

"Ryo mailed me back, said his kid An might be able to fill me in on what they're after. If he's right, then maybe I can find out why they want Morganna so badly, and – from what Hiro's told me – how they intend to get her since she's gone. There's a very real possibility that fax was left for me to find. I'm not sure what to think now. I'll have to see what she says."

Hiroshi recalled the conversation in question; a brief interlude between Kite and Stolls, following the destruction of the Wave, well over a month ago. He tried more documents, each of them asking for a password, much to his chagrin.

(Come on, Dean... help me out here.) Exhausting the text files, Hiro turned to the mail client, opening it up and glancing through the digital filing cabinet.

"February 3rd, midnight." Dean's voice sounded lighter than usual, almost excited. "I think I caught a break. Finally managed to tail Felix back to where these guys are organizing; it's somewhere inside the Shikima office complex, probably one of the vacant floors. I couldn't get inside the building, but I can tell they're well funded. Ten to one Rosenberg's been siphoning money out of his own pocket to 'em. Anyway, I spotted the Range Rover in the lot, a couple guys were unloading the back. I nicked a disc from the passenger seat when they weren't looking. Maybe this'll tell me more about what they hope to gain from Morganna."

Hiro scanned the saved mail, and was quick to come upon the one Max had mentioned.

* * *

From: MKerrek

To: DStollis

Subj: Re: Your Boss

I understand. I'll hang onto your key just in case. I'll do what I can, but we're all gonna be busy with that conference coming up in a couple weeks. This is dangerous stuff we're talking about, here. Be careful.

Original message follows:

I'm sorry it took so long to write you, but something's happening. I'm not sure what, but there's this guy I know – Felix Croker – who's been meeting with some very unsavory characters, some of whom have ties to Asara Corporation. At least one of them has met with Rosenberg personally. Color me jumpy, but I think he might be planning another heist. God only knows of what.

Keep your eyes open, and let me know if you see anything suspicious. I might need your help later on. You still have my key, right?

There may be a situation in which this address will become compromised; some of the felons are hackers. Towards that end, with the key I'll be giving you a copy of my home address, and the code words for each email. If for some reason I can't reach you, don't answer any mail that doesn't have them.

- Dean

* * *

Through the text, Hiroshi could still hear Dean talking from the tape recorder. "February 4th, 7:38 PM. I finally got a good luck at what's on the disk." His voice was shaky, unsettled. "Most of it's just programming junk that I couldn't figure out, but... but when I looked at the source, some of the strings..." He sighed, then started over. "I ran the program on the disc, and it booted up... s-some kind of offline version of 'The World'. There were a couple specific field addresses that had been, uh, altered. And... and..."

Another sigh, this one shorter and tighter. "Oh, god. These figures... the characters. They're me. How do I... how do I fit into this?"

Hiroshi held his breath, staring fixedly at the tape recorder. A few of the pieces began to slide together, and were promptly torn asunder when the detective spoke again.

"I was wrong. Morganna... me... it's not about either of us." He gulped, hard and audibly. "It's all about Aura. It's only been about her. They don't know where I am, but they know I'm onto them. That's how I fit in. Damn it all... that's it. They just wanted a goddamned decoy."

There was a quiet double-click through the recorder, sounding an awful lot like a handgun bolt being pulled back. "I've got to stop them."

- End of Chapter 17


	18. Break the Rules

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Comin' up on the home stretch. It's times like this I wish I got paid, because if it weren't for my chronically short attention span I could do this all day. It probably wouldn't be as good, but who cares? I'd be making money! Oh, I miss making money...

Uh... oh, right. Sorry. Read on! :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Stone Sour – Bother

Chapter 18 – Break the Rules

* * *

"What'd you want to talk about?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Balmung gave a nod to BlackRose, Ryoko and Sanjuro, who stood waiting at Dun Loireag's Chaos Gate. "Go on ahead, we'll catch up."

He watched for a moment as the leader of the party – BlackRose – got the attention of Lios. After an invisible conversation, the three of them vanished, leaving the Descendents of Fianna behind.

Balmung turned back to Orca. "I've been thinking about something ever since we ran into the character – the black one. Helba inferred that he was an AI of some kind."

"Yeah, I read the logs," said Orca. "What's your point?"

"I've been trying to figure out who put him here, and for what purpose." He folded his arms – covered by metal guards – across his chest, shifting his weight to his left leg. "Nothing seemed to make any sense; create a program based around key events in one man's life? What could they gain from that?"

Orca shrugged. "They're after Morganna. Perhaps this is part of some plot to draw her out somehow? Bring her back from... well, wherever it is she went?"

"That's just it," the Blademaster countered. "We THINK they're after Morganna. That's what the program told us, but who put that program there?" Pausing for a breath, he added, "What if someone told him what to say? Someone who wanted us to do exactly what we've been doing – trying to follow this thing around?"

Orca's thick eyebrows bunched together as he stared at his white-haired comrade. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we haven't considered the possibility that this... thing... is being controlled somehow. That maybe it's not an AI after all, but character we've been told is an AI."

Skeptical, Orca silently motioned for Balmung to continue.

"Let's work backwords on this one. In their last meeting, Kite said Stolls was uncharacteristically rude to him." He raised a hand, palm up, and gestured to Orca. "Why would he suddenly drop character?"

Orca pondered the question for a few seconds. "Hmm... well, maybe it wasn't necessary anymore? He did say it was like they both knew it wasn't really Dean."

"Exactly," Balmung said firmly. "With this character running around, of course it would throw doubt on the Wavemaster. He wouldn't have dropped character unless he didn't need to pretend anymore, or he didn't need Kite to believe him."

Some of the confusion in Orca's eyes began to melt away, his features softening accordingly. "Go on."

"There was something else that bothered me. He mentioned how he 'knew' that people had broken into his apartment to kidnap him, but he couldn't remember it happening." He stopped to look around, making sure nobody was eavesdropping on the conversation. "Let's assume that he had the foresight to put a copy of himself on the internet, and had the technical expertise – or the help of someone who did – to do so. How could he possibly have that kind of information at the time? He claimed to have been asleep at the time. Even if he had help, he couldn't possibly have told someone about that, much less be in any condition to put it on a computer."

The doubts were becoming clearer. Orca lifted his head, seemingly on the dawn of a revelation. "So you're saying someone else put that AI on the internet... someone behind all this, perhaps."

A dark look crossed the Blademaster's flawless features. "I'm saying there are inconsistencies. I, for one, am reluctant to trust what this 'Dean' has been telling us, and it's very possible that 'they' want us to meet up with this last character."

Orca let out a low moan of frustration. "Well... what do you want to do, then?"

"I told this to you for a reason," said Balmung. "I want you sign off."

The muscular warrior gaped, dumbfounded at the order. "What?!"

Balmung leveled a steely gaze at the Azure Sea. "I don't know what's going on, but it has me worried. There's a chance we might be walking into a trap... and I want someone to stay outside who knows what we know so far."

"But why me?" Orca shot back. "Why don't you warn the others if you're so suspicious??"

Balmung inhaled sharply, teeth clenched firmly together. "Don't misunderstand me; I will tell them, too. For one, though, this may be our only chance to find out what's really going on." He looked up at his friend, hints of sorry somewhere deep within his eyes. "And besides, I... you already..." The words were mangled in his mouth, his tongue firmly tied. "Yasu, I feel bad enough as it is."

Orca's face twitched, an involuntary reaction. His hand went up to halt the Blademaster. "Look, just... just forget about it, okay?"

A sad smile climbed onto Balmung's face. "I'm trying." The smile was quick to vanish, and he steadied himself. "Then how about this. You wait out of the game for Kite to contact you. When he does, you message us with what he found. Then we'll see for ourselves what's really going on."

It was Orca's turn to smile. "That's more like it."

* * *

His voice was quiet, resigned, with a trace of cynicism. "I'm leaving this tape behind as evidence. Someone has to know what they were up to." There was a small rumbling, a tremor in his throat that could have been a weak growl. "If you'll pardon the cliché, if you're reading this, then something probably happened to me. Something bad."

Hiroshi felt his own breath shorten in concern. "Maybe I'm dead, maybe they just got me... I don't know. But if you find this, get ahold of Lieutenant Aniki Masamoto with the police, fourth precinct. Tell him where the office complex is. If I'm anywhere, I'm probably there. If you need any of my documents, the login is 'SDR,' and the password is 'samspade' – one word."

There was a sniff, a cough, and then about ten seconds of silence. Just as Hiroshi reached for the 'stop' button, Dean spoke once more. "I guess it could be anybody who finds this, but... what the hell. Hiro, man... if that's you on the other end... I just want you to know that I didn't want you to stick your neck out for me. God knows you've done enough for me since we've met, but... thank you. You took a big risk, and you didn't have to."

"It's jake of you man. Really." A stilted chuckle. "Now hurry up and call the cavalry, will ya?"

Static followed the detective's voice. Hiro waited a full minute before hitting the 'stop' button; the impact caused the tape recorder to wobble and topple over, falling on its back to the desk. The gravity of the situation made a similar motion on the boy's shoulders, and he fell back into the chair, slouching low.

(Those guys must've caught him,) he thought. Even in his head, he sounded faint, indistinct. (He really is in trouble. And he needs help.)

The thought hit him like a sack of bricks. (My help. But... I'm no hero. I'm just... just me.)

His doubts were overridden. (What am I thinking?! He's in danger! I have to call the police!) He sat up straight and picked up the phone, punching out 119 and bringing the handset up to his ear.

"Emergency services."

Hiroshi cleared his throat, trying to sound as cool and collected as possible. "I need to speak with Lieutenant Masamoto. It's about Dean Stollis, I think he's been kidnapped."

"One moment, please."

Wedging the phone between his ear and shoulder, Hiro leaned forward and opened the documents folder again. Armed with the password, he rifled through the file titles, searching for anything that stood out.

He found one. ('Discrangerover'. Well... that's one way to keep track, I guess.)

Before he could double-click, a firm, older man's voice came through the phone. "Masamoto."

Momentarily startled, Hiroshi sat up straight and took the phone in his hand. "Sir, my name is Hiroshi Nakosuke. I'm a friend of Dean's, and I'm at his apartment right now." He started to speak faster, trying hard to convey all the evidence. "I-I don't exactly know what's going on, but he left notes indicating he was headed to some place called the Shikima office complex. He said..."

Masamoto cut him off. "All right, all right, slow down. How did... um..." he could be heard mumbling to himself, fumbling with the question. "Oh, where to start. All right. First, tell me where he is. I've been trying to get ahold of him since yesterday. You said the Shikima office complex?"

"Yes," Hiroshi answered. "He said something about a man named Felix, who he'd followed to that building. There was something about Aura, too."

"Aura?"

"Yeah, I... oh. Oh, wait." He fumbled, briefly forgetting where – and who – he was. "Uh, n-nevermind. But there's something going on with 'The World' and Dean. Someone's been impersonating him in that online game, but when I came to his apartment, nobody was here. I spoke to a repairwoman who says she hasn't seen him in a couple days."

Off the phone, Hiroshi clicked on the document and typed in the login and password.

A door creaked open over the phone. "Just a second, Koji," said Masamoto, away from the mouthpiece. He spoke again to Hiro. "Now do you have proof?"

"I have his tape recorder here. He left a message."

"Can you play it over the phone? Let me hear it."

Hiroshi reached out and snatched up the tape recorder, paying no heed to the document on screen. He hit the rewind button, and after a few seconds, hit play, pressing the speaker up to the mouthpiece. Dean's voice came back, flawlessly reciting his lines.

"...probably happened to me. Something bad. Maybe I'm dead, maybe they just got me... I don't know. But if you find this, get ahold of Lieutenant Aniki Masamoto with the police, fourth precinct. Tell him where the office complex is. If I'm anywhere, I'm probably there. If you need any-"

Hiroshi stopped the tape, and put the phone on its perch next to his ear, just in time to hear the officer curse. After a beat, he continued. "Okay, okay. I'll head over there personally to check it out. Did he say which floor?"

"No, not specifically... oh, wait. He did say it was one of the vacant floors."

"Hahhh... that helps a little, I suppose. Listen, thanks for the information, Hiroshi. We'll look into this. There's one thing I want to ask you, though."

"Yes?"

There was a slight pause. "This might sound like an odd question, but are you, by any chance, the player of the character Kite in 'The World'?"

Hiro drew his head back in surprise, just an inch but sharply so. "Y-yeah... why?"

"Hmm. Dean told me a little about you. I'd say his faith in you is well placed." There was a tangible sincerity to his words. "Thanks for the help, son. You've done more today than you know."

He blushed a little at the commendation. "I'm glad I could help."

"Believe me, you did. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Not much," said Hiroshi. "Just... can you just make sure he's okay?"

"We'll do our best. Take care, Hiroshi."

He didn't get the chance to wish the officer luck; the line clicked and went dead, prompting Hiro to set the phone down. He leaned back, the sturdy yet comfortable chair molding to his thin frame, cushioning him, drawing a long sigh past his lips.

(Well, I called the cavalry,) he thought, recalling Dean's final request. (Is that it, then? I wonder how the others are doing. Maybe they found that other character... the other Dean...)

Something nagged at his mind, causing his eyes to return to the screen. (They're still up to something in 'The World'.) He saw the file he opened. (Yeah, that disc... what was on it?)

* * *

Source: Disc recovered from Range Rover (LS-3909)

Date: 2/4/11

Summary: Outline of plan for extraction (copying?) of artificial intelligence entity "Aura" from The World, gathered from program on the disc.

Details: From what I could gather, the disc contained an upload to 'The World' – modifications for specific fields to accept user-altered characters. In other words, it's a hack. There are four of them altogether:

Sigma: Perceived Lifeless Fort Walls

Delta: Hidden Corrupted Paradise

Lambda: Dolorous Passed Over Prairie

Theta: Greedy Law's Messenger

This appears to be what I've called 'phase one' of their plan. The appearance of these characters has nothing to do with actually getting to Aura; rather, it's intended to get the attention of someone who can. I can only assume they either mean a hacker, or an administrator. It's likely they're looking for either Helba or Lios.

As it stands, these characters are tailor-made from me, from my past. But what I don't understand is that they aren't guided at all – it's purely cosmetic changes, plus some minor programming I didn't understand. They must intend to have someone act out the part of me; the characters are little more than new skins.

Be that as it may, the next step appears to be using whoever shows up, somehow, to summon Aura. Whether they intend to capture her, or merely copy her data, I am unsure. Most of what was on the disc was just an offline build of the areas; I didn't even appear as a character, it was still in edit mode. I'm gathering the rest of this from the attached text file.

I know this much: they intend to use me – my likeness, my history – as a decoy towards the end of taking Aura. How, I don't know. However, these fields were customized sequentially; I believe Greedy Law's Messenger is where the phase one will end.

Conclusion: The characters must be destroyed. Under no circumstance should any hacker or administrator interfere – that's precisely why they're there.

- DS

* * *

Hiroshi gasped. (Oh my god. Dean was right, it's all a setup! I've got to warn them!)

Thinking quickly, he minimized the document and opened the messenger program. It signed on instantly, the password memorized and locked by the program; the login, "Stolls".

(What the... oh, it's set to log on automatically,) he mused. (Gotta log in as a guest.)

As he scrolled the mouse over to the File tab, a text box popped up on the screen, barring his progress. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Stollis."

Hiro caught sight of the name atop the instant message – MiKura (BT). Though he didn't recognize it, its presence was enough to make him feel out of place, a foreign element in someone else's world.

Impulse had since acted on his behalf; he typed out a quick "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Someone needs help." He then hit the tab, and scrolled down to 'sign off'. At this, the messenger produced the usual login screen, and MiKura's message blinked out of sight. He couldn't help but feel unsettled, even as he switched over to a guest handle, and typed in his own login and password – allowing him access to his account by remote.

The program went through the motions of connecting, and Hiro's contact list appeared in the corner. He noted five, all of whom he expected to be online. Double-clicking Orca's name, he typed out, "Hey! I'm at Dean's, I just found something. Where are you guys?"

Yasuhiko was quick to respond. "Hiro! I was waiting for you. Balmung and the others went to the field. They just found the character, and they're following him now."

(Oh no!) He spoke with the voice of keys clattering. "It's a setup, they're all decoys. They're trying to trick Helba or Lios into appearing. Tell them to kill the character, right now!"

"Kill it?? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Hurry!"

He waited for almost a minute before getting a reply. "All right, I just told Balmung. What should we do, though?"

Hiro let his hands idle on the keyboard, index fingertips rubbing the small divots on their respective keys. He looked away from the screen, thinking as fast as he could. (Come on, come on... what can we do, here? What if they need our help?)

At this, his eyes fell upon a previously unnoticed pile of wire and plastic, wedged onto a small shelf built into the desk, below the keyboard. He slipped a hand into the shelf, and felt the cold, slightly dusty grip of a game controller. His thumb brushed against what he surmised was the eyepiece to a visor.

His hand flew back to the keyboard. "Meet me in-game. We're going to catch up to them."

- End of Chapter 18


	19. You Can Only Lose Once

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens following the end of Quarantine. Parentheses indicate thoughts. I know, I know, the cliffhangers abound and I'm evil for it. Trust me, as far as Hiroshi's half is concerned, this will be the last. And besides, it is suspense, isn't it? Hehehe... oh, I'm just teasing. But anyway, usual rules apply, comments and critiques are most welcome, read and enjoy, Freemasons run the country, et cetera.

One more thing; there will be some resolution in Chapter 20 as far as Kite's concerned, but kindly note that a far more satisfying epilogue will await him at the end of the whole ordeal. Unlike Heist and Relapse, the Chapter 20 mark is more when the perspective shifts; fear not, for our Hiro will be playing a large role after we leave his point of view :)

This chapter done to the tune of: AFI – Silver and Cold

Chapter 19 – You Can Only Lose Once

* * *

"Any sign of him?" Balmung asked, head turned away from the group and towards the night sky. All around them, dusty plains stretched to the horizon, filled with rocks and long-dead trees; colored lights, like large fireflies, blinked off and on as they danced about, all amidst the background of crickets chirping and wind whistling.

BlackRose shook her head. "Nothing on our half of the map."

"The portals were all still in place," Ryoko added. "It didn't look like anyone had been here before us."

Balmung nodded. "Including the character, it would seem... we didn't see him either."

"The way these portals are laid out," said Sanjuro, "there's no way something could've hidden from us without triggering one of them. He has to be in the dungeon." For emphasis, he pointed southwest, where – at the edge of everyone's vision – a dark, massive tower loomed over the field.

"How long as it been?" asked the female Heavy Blade.

"About a half hour," answered Balmung. One corner of his lips twisted back, the start of a frown. "No word from Orca or Kite either. I suppose we have no choice but to investigate the dungeon."

"All right, let's go!" BlackRose eagerly took the lead, the others following in a wide V formation. (There has to be something here, something about this field... what are they trying to do here?) After a moment, she thought again. (And just who ARE they, anyway? I don't like this at all.)

Accenting the thought, a faint gnawing sensation started in the pit of her stomach, prickles of uneasiness – and a faint chill in her player's room – causing goosebumps to swell up along her arms. She watched the tower grow larger as she neared, spotting the darkened flags hanging from poles which jutted out from the main structure. (Kite, I hope you found something.)

They rounded the back of the tower, spotting the entrance, which was marked with two brightly burning lanterns. Before any of them could cross the threshold into the building proper, a loud CRACK echoed through the entrance.

BlackRose slid to a halt. "What the hell?"

"That sounded like..." began Sanjuro.

Ryoko picked up where he trailed off. "A... gunshot?"

A low growl rumbled through the back of Balmung's throat. "It could be anything. Stay on guard." Outside of 'The World,' he sent a quick message to his armchair cohort. "Yasu, we just heard a gunshot from inside the dungeon. I think it's the character, we must be right behind him. We're going to check it out."

His reply came quickly. "Got it. Be careful."

The Blademaster took the lead, sword in hand. The group clustered together as it entered the tower, descending down a darkened staircase and into a dingy, blue-bricked dungeon. Torches lined the walls, casting just enough light to show the obscure runic patterns on the floor. Down the long hall ahead, a small portcullis barred the only other doorway.

"What the," muttered BlackRose as they reached the obstruction. "Why would this be locked? There's nothing in here," she turned around, "is there?"

"Maybe someone's..." Ryoko stopped, catching herself at the impossibility. "We're locked in the field alone, aren't we?"

Sanjuro's good eye stared through the gate into the darkness. "Nobody followed us in, but that doesn't mean there's nobody here."

BANG! "Goddamnit, I've had just about enough of you! Die!" BANG! BANG!

Silence, then a quiet clattering. The rusty gate creaked noisily as it slid up into the doorway.

All four of them were visibly hesitant, BlackRose glancing nervously at her companions, Ryoko with a worried expression on her face, Sanjuro and Balmung cradling their weapons and staring hard at the empty black portal. With great caution, they advanced through to the next room; four sets of eyes quickly scanned each corner, looking for the source of the noise.

They didn't have to look very far. Standing in the center of the room was a young, black-haired American, clad in a blue policeman's uniform. A nightstick was hooked into his belt on the left, a holster for a handgun on the right, the latter of which was empty. The gun in question lay on the floor near his polished black shoes, its bolt locked back to display an empty chamber. Before the man lay the rapidly dissolving body of a bipedal, reptilian warrior, a King Snakeoid, its large, jagged blade discarded a few feet away.

Hearing the footsteps, the policeman turned and faced the party, a crooked smile on his face – a face that everyone except BlackRose recognized. "What took you so long?" he said with a weak chuckle.

Balmung hid his surprise at seeing one so obviously out of place. "What is this?"

Dean gave a heavy sigh. "I think this is the last one."

"How do you know?" asked the winged warrior.

"How do I know anything?" Dean shot back, stepping closer to the group. "I just do, it's just there."

Another familiar figure entered the room, her liltingly mysterious voice piercing the dialogue. "Haven't you figured it out yet, detective?"

All turned towards Helba as she came into the room from the east, approaching with controlled, floating steps, her dress trailing behind her. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, the staff firmly in the grip of her right hand.

Dean scoffed. "Oh, it's you. Come on, not that AI crap again. You really expect me to believe..."

She raised her free hand and cut him off. "No." Her head crooked forward; though her eyes were hidden behind the visor, she gave off the distinct impression that she was avoiding Dean's gaze. "I now believe that assessment was," she glanced at Balmung, "somewhat hasty."

"As do I," said Balmung. "Orca and I discussed this earlier. We never stopped to think that perhaps this character," he gestured to Dean, "was meant for us to believe him a purely digital entity, free from the controls of someone offline."

He swore he saw the hacker smile. "A conclusion I reached as well." She looked back at the policeman. "I had once suspected that you were like the player who became trapped in 'The World', but your problem seems far more complex, one that could only happen by design. And I question the wisdom of constructing an artificial intelligence without some form of constraint or control, if they truly seek to seize the guiding force of 'The World'."

"So he's not an AI," said Sanjuro. "Then what is he?"

Helba turned her attention to the rest of the group. "Try and invite Dean Stollis into your party. Put his name into the flash mail and send it."

BlackRose blinked, shifting her gaze between the Wavemaster and the policeman. "Eh? Why?"

"To answer a question of my own. Go ahead, invite him."

The Heavy Blade looked questioningly at her companions; Balmung nodded, Ryoko shrugged, and Sanjuro simply stared. Facing the unusual character, BlackRose noticed for the first time that not only could she target him, but he had a name – the full name of the detective himself. She opened the flash mail menu and sent a party invitation to that name.

There was a collective, yet muted gasp as Dean recoiled, his eyes focused on something unseen. After a second or two he righted himself, and after a few more a message acknowledging the invitation appeared on BlackRose's heads up display. The officer's status appeared next to her other teammates'; a quick scan of his equipment menu revealed his official class as a Long Arm.

"He's... he's a hacked character!" exclaimed the rose-themed warrior, staring in disbelief at the information on her screen.

"How did I do that," muttered Dean, staring desperately at Helba. "How was I able to reply?!"

"You're being controlled, detective," answered Helba, "but, as far as I've been able to determine, you are indeed sitting at a computer, at this very moment. You simply don't know it."

His eyes widened in horror. "But... but how?!"

"I can't say for certain," was the hacker's reply. "This is the phenomena that marks those who have been trapped in 'The World' – an inability for their mind to recognize that they are in a computer game, connected to the internet by a headset they can no longer remove, a controller they can no longer release."

A sudden cry of alarm drew attention to Ryoko, who in turn directed it towards the northern entrance to the chamber. "Hey, look!"

Leaning against the frame of the doorway, blue wand tucked under his arm, Stolls clapped his hands together, a barely visible smirk on his face. "Oh, well done, Helba. Your reputation hardly does you justice."

BlackRose leveled a steely glare at the male Wavemaster, who approached and quickly found himself flanked on both sides as the party spread out and surrounded him. Officer Stollis remained in the center of the room, watching the silver-haired magician but too stunned to form words. Helba kept quiet too, though she nonetheless took a defensive posture.

"You're the one playing his character," she stated. "And you're forcing the real him to play these characters. Why?"

Stolls looked remarkably nonchalant. "A preemptive strike, if you will."

"Preemptive strike?" echoed Balmung, pointing his sword at the Wavemaster. "Explain yourself!"

"If you insist." He stopped to clear his throat. "Another tragedy approaches 'The World,' my young friends. One that will rattle the very fabric upon which it is built, and with it, the global information network."

"That's not possible," challenged BlackRose, her voice steady. "We stopped Pluto Again. What are you talking about?!"

Stolls cocked his head towards her, not a trace of humanity in his emerald eyes. "You only delayed it. With an immature series of protocols now governing and inhabiting 'The World', do you honestly believe that this place," he held up an arm, and passed it in a wide arc to his right, "this data, is in any way secure?"

"Aura is 'The World,'" Helba said coolly. "You underestimate her if you think she cannot protect it."

Ryoko rapped the bottom of her axe against the ground, causing Stolls to look in her direction. "And what business is it of yours?" she asked, gaining a measure of confidence. "You still haven't said what you're trying to do, and why."

"Hmm... that's a very good question, my dear Terajima," he said, in a patronizing way that made the Axewoman shiver on the outside, and boil on the inside. Focusing on Helba again, he took a step forward. "You see, I represent certain... interested parties, people who, like you, seek to preserve the state of 'The World,' and consequently the Internet."

BlackRose grumbled, hefting her blade. "Get to the point!" The four players tightened their circle around the Wavemaster as he approached the hacker, who held her ground.

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there," urged Stolls. His pace was casual, smooth and natural, as if he had all the time in the world. "See, they know a great deal about you, too, Helba."

"Oh?"

"Your real name, your occupation, your family..."

She chuckled dryly. "Is that a fact?"

A menacing smile appeared on Stolls' lips. "Your network access numbers."

They watched Helba, waiting for her reply. She stood silent, unmoving. Statuesque.

Seemingly roused from his shock, Dean looked over at the white-clad hacker. "Helba, what's he talking about?"

She remained silent. Suddenly, a small icon appeared over her head, a picture of a cable plugged into a hole, with a large red X over it.

BlackRose gawked. "She disconnected?!"

"Just a hiccup," replied Stolls, "localized to one district in particular." He pointed to Ryoko, and then to Balmung, who appeared to be similarly afflicted. "It'll only last for a few more seconds. Which reminds me."

Unimpeded, the Wavemaster advanced upon the frozen hacker. Standing on his toes to compensate for their difference in height, he leaned forward, threw his arms around her slender waist, and kissed her hard on the lips.

"What the... what the hell are you doing?!" shouted Sanjuro, who raced forward to pry the two apart.

Before he could get more than a few steps, Stolls parted willingly, their lips making a wet smacking noise; his hands drifted down to her waist. "Almost as good as the real thing," he said, seemingly to himself.

The frozen players snapped back to life. Helba, finding herself in the arms of the diminutive magician, recoiled in disgust, wiggling out of his grasp. "Ugh!" she grunted, taken completely by surprise. "You... you... what did..." she struggled through clenched teeth, clearly agitated.

"None of that, Miss Helba." He shook a finger back and forth in a 'no no' gesture. "Lord knows you could probably use it, couldn't you?"

"Rrrgh... you're disgusting!" she spat, more emotion in her voice than anyone had heard before. "How dare you..."

"Sanjuro, now! Kill him!"

Once more, their collective awareness was redirected at the sound of a katana slicing cleanly through flesh and cloth. What was left of Officer Stollis – both halves of him – dropped to the floor, where they lost all color and disintegrated into nothingness.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" shrieked BlackRose.

Stolls laughed. "Too late, Balmung!"

"It's a trap!" Balmung shouted back. "I just got a message from Kite and Orca, the whole thing's a setup! Helba, get out of here!"

"A trap??" said Ryoko. "What do you mean?!"

His eyes never left Helba. "It wasn't about Dean at all. They wanted you! You have to get out of here, now!"

The hacker inhaled sharply. "You... you were stalling."

Stolls smiled innocently. "Was it that obvious?"

"What did you do to me?!" she demanded, her lips and jaw the only parts of her body that moved.

"Oh, nothing to you, miss Helba. You'll find you can still remove your visor, and even shut off your machine if you're so inclined." He drew back one hand, leaving the other to trace the outline of her hip with the index finger. "But your character... oh, to hell with euphemisms. The hacking protocols you built within this oh-so-unique, and very shapely Wavemaster are exactly what we were looking for. So we're borrowing them."

"You mean... you're going to use her character?" asked Ryoko.

Stepping away from the paralyzed Wavemaster, Stolls nodded to Ryoko. "Something like that. I'm not handling the technical aspects, which reminds me of something el..."

"HYAAAH!"

A massive blade cleared through Stolls' neck, severing his head and sending it tumbling to the floor. BlackRose reversed her grip and followed up with an overhead smash, driving her weapon deep into his body, pure hatred fueling the blow and tearing a sizable chunk of digital flesh away.

The corpse collapsed to the ground and faded away, leaving behind a flickering, transparent facsimile of the slain Wavemaster. The ghost of Stolls shot an angry look at her.

"He was buying time again," explained BlackRose. "Now tell us, what the hell are you going to do with her?!"

"Remember what I said about the crisis? My employers? Our motives?" He spat invisibly. "All bullshit. It's all about money. That's all it's ever been about, and that's all you're going to learn." The ghost stepped back, craned his neck towards the ceiling, and shouted, "Monroe!"

Footsteps came from beyond all the exits, and within seconds a half-dozen heavily armed player characters entered the room, weapons brandished. Stolls shouted again. "Lock it down!"

The gates crashed, trapping the dozen occupants of the room inside. BlackRose's response was instinctual; she hefted her blade again and charged at the nearest foe. Above her own war cry, she heard one final instruction: "Keep them busy! We need five minutes!"

* * *

His eyes opened into another world, one he instantly identified as Dun Loireag. Kite wasted little time in getting his bearings, and began scanning the crowd. "Orca!" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth, eschewing the shout command and flashmail for the moment. "Orca!"

"There you are!" The call came from the corner; Kite spun on his heels and saw the burly Blademaster approaching. "We'd better get moving, I haven't heard from Balmung since I sent the message."

Kite sent a party invitation to the Azure Sea, and then followed up with a question. "Did you contact Lios? We need him to open the gate."

A worried look crossed Orca's face. "He unlocked the field already, but he said something was happening, he wasn't sure what."

- End of Chapter 19


	20. A Measure of Finality

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters and concepts belong to Cyber Connect and Bandai. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Well, here it is, folks, the end of the first half. Before this goes down, I feel I should clear something up. The two halves, this time around, happen sequentially, meaning that Dean's takes place, chronologically speaking, after the end of Kite's. These do not explore the same exact events from differing perspectives, as Heist and Relapse did.

With that in mind, read on, critique, and enjoy :)

This chapter written to the tune of: Tom Petty – Refugee

Chapter 20 – A Measure of Finality

* * *

"Aiee-YAH!"

The clash of steel on steel followed her war cry as she brought the heavy blade down on her opponent, who managed to raise his spear just in time to block. Breaking the parry, BlackRose jumped right, renewing her assault from another direction.

All around her, the sounds of combat filled her ears; Sanjuro paired off with another Heavy Blade, Balmung struggled to gain advantage against a Wavemaster, and Ryoko was left to deal with a Twin Blade. Two Blademasters seemed to spring from fight to fight, striking whenever one of the others was briefly repelled. She barely had time to identify anything specific about their adversaries, knowing them only by the weapons she saw headed her way.

Amidst it all, Stolls – who had since been brought back with a resurrection spell – stood next to Helba, occasionally throwing a spell into the fray but otherwise remaining still, vigilant.

(He's guarding her,) she thought. (She has to be the key to what they're doing!)

A hearty chop to her right shoulder tore several hundred hit points off her health, forcing her to twist away from the Blademaster's attempted combo. She took several steps back as the two men advanced, and raised her blade to block as both sprang on her at once. Grunting with effort, she spun to her left, deflecting the length of the spear, and then to her right to catch the sword.

"It's Helba!" she shouted. "We gotta stop them from using her!"

"Hrragh!" grunted Balmung as he took a firm bash in the stomach with his opponent's staff. He skipped backwards, struggling to maintain his guard as the other Blademaster rushed him. "I can't get close enough!"

A harsh "Vak Divider!" passed Sanjuro's lips as he spun his katana around, its edge bursting into flames; the swing narrowly missed, but the samurai was quick to follow up, advancing forward and reversing the blade for the backswing. The weapon collided hard with the opposing Heavy Blade's armor, igniting a blinding explosion that knocked him back several paces.

"Don't let up!" shouted Stolls. "Three minutes!"

His words were nearly lost as a loud CLANG echoed through the chamber; Ryoko followed through in her swing, knocking one of the swords out of the Twin Blade's hand. The smaller fighter was quick to turn the tables, lunging beneath the range of the axe head and slashing at the angelic warrior.

The room began to take on a fainter shade of blue, as if the color was slowly being drained from the walls themselves. Bright sparks of electricity occasionally danced here and there, along the ceiling of the chamber.

(They're just trying to keep us occupied,) thought BlackRose. (We have to even the odds somehow.) She knew that the weapons hacking at her slender, tattooed body could cause her no real harm, though the sweat on her palms and forehead, and furiously pounding heart told a different story.

Nimbly, she evaded a strike from the Long Arm, and was partly relieved when her Blademaster turned to assist the Twin Blade, who was suddenly at a disadvantage against Ryoko's relentless attack. The spear-wielder flipped up his weapon and panned right, forcing BlackRose to duck down under the swing; she countered by barreling into him, ramming her shoulder hard into his gut.

He doubled over, and then was bent over backwards with a mighty, upward slash; BlackRose leapt up high, tumbling in the air to strike again, and the stunned Long Arm couldn't stop her. The blade connected, easily cleaving through his skull and – while leaving no graphical damage – causing a critical hit that promptly threw him to the floor, defeated.

She heard the crackle of magical energy, and didn't need to turn around to know that the Wavemaster was preparing another resurrection spell. "Take out the spellcaster!" she hollered, doing an about-face and preparing to follow her own instruction. A bolt of lightning struck her left flank, slowing her pace but doing little else, her armor diffusing much of the elemental damage.

Balmung beat her to the punch, evading his sword-wielding adversary long enough to land a punishing strike to the Wavemaster's back. This broke the man's concentration, disrupting the spell long enough for BlackRose to gain on him. She, too, scored a strong hit, raking her two-handed sword across his chest. Balmung landed the killing blow, ramming his weapon through the Wavemaster's chest just as a slash from behind forced the two apart.

The magician's body fell to the ground, turned gray and vanished. Growling, Stolls hefted his blue wand and joined the battle. "Do I have to do everything by myself?!" he hollered as he engaged the nearest fighter.

* * *

Boots clattered loudly on the stone floor as their owners raced down the long hallway; Kite took the lead, with Orca trailing off to his left.

The teal-haired boy skidded to a half when he saw the gate was down. "No," he said under his breath. "Are we too late?" He stepped forward, sheathing his blades and grabbing the bars, testing them. "Someone's in this room."

"It has to be them," said Orca. "Lios just unlocked the field, there shouldn't be anybody ahead of us."

Kite threw a worried look at the gate. "I don't think we can just wait here. Let's call Lios, maybe he can force the door open."

Orca nodded. "Good idea."

The Twin Blade opened his flash mail menu, typing out a hasty request to technical support, addressed specifically to Lios. "There," he said. "Have you gotten any response from Balmung?"

"None yet." Frowning, he added, "and since we signed on, the other two I sent bounced right back to me, like he was offline or something. Same with Sanjuro. But I can see them right on my friend list, they're definitely still on."

"This is bad," Kite said. "I can't get ahold of BlackRose, or Ryoko either."

A few seconds of silence preceded the sudden arrival of Lios, who appeared without fanfare or spectacle, literally fading into view behind the two players. "What's going on?" he demanded, a stern look on his face.

(That was fast.) Turning around, Kite answered, "We think they're in there, but the gate's down. Can you open it?"

"Hold on." The stout administrator stood perfectly still, his eyes closed for just a moment; when they opened, he faced the rusty gate and pointed an index finger toward it. "I can't seem to examine the room itself," he said, "but by the logs from this room there's at least ten people in there, and probably more."

"Dean said something about a trap." Kite turned back to the door. "A trap for a hacker, or an administrator."

Lios flinched. He lowered his hand, and the room flashed pure white for a half-second; when it ceased, the gate opened, and Lios gestured to it. "Be careful," he warned.

Kite and Orca charged through the now-open portal, and gasped in shock at the sight before them.

All four of their allies were locked in a pitched battle with no less than five other player characters – Kite was quick to recognize Stolls – as they surrounded Helba, who appeared to be frozen in place. The walls were a pale blue, starkly contrasting with the previous hallway. More visible were the massive bolts of electricity, which were madly twisting about along the ceiling, striking the exact spot above where Helba stood.

Orca couldn't help but notice that each of his friends seemed more interested in evading their attackers than killing them. Kite, on the other hand, noticed a transparent outline of a human suspended in the air.

"Forty-five seconds!" Stolls yelled, in a voice that Kite no longer recognized.

Nodding to Orca, Kite drew his blades again and the two readied themselves for battle.

"KITE!"

Another voice he knew. He saw BlackRose out the corner of his eye, and shouted over to her, "What's going on?!"

"It's Helba!" She cried out painfully as a slashing blow to the chest knocked her back. "They're hacking through Helba!"

"They did something to her!" Ryoko added, who, despite the unwieldy size of her weapon, was barely able to keep two Blademasters at bay, out of striking reach. "You have to stop her!"

One of the Axewoman's opponents broke free and charged Kite, which highlighted the obvious. Orca was quick to step in front, blade in hand. "Go get Helba! Do what you have to do! I'll cover you!"

Instinct took over, forcing Kite to obey. As he raced towards the white-clad Wavemaster, he heard the clash of steel as Orca intercepted the other Blademaster. Instinct was quick to fail him, however, when he got within striking range, standing right behind the blonde hacker.

"What do I do?" he asked, unsure of whether to attack or try something else.

Her voice piped up through all the chaos. "Kite, is that you?"

"Helba! What's happening? How do I stop this??"

"They've pinned my character into the game," she said. "I don't know, but they're using it to access Aura."

Kite's eyes went wide. "Aura?!" He looked up above Helba, at the outline again; it was starting to take a definite shape, and beyond hands and feet he could see long, flowing lines around the head, not unlike strands of hair. There was a near-invisible hint of color in the shape, a definite silver amidst the ill-defined object.

"You have to kill me," Helba urged. "Do it!"

"I-I... uh, okay! Okay!"

Mustering up his courage, he raised his blades and started to hack and slash, his twin swords cutting deeply, greedily into digital flesh. Numbers flashed up over Helba's body, one-hundred, two-hundred, one-hundred again; small potatoes when he knew her hit points were just shy of ten thousand.

"I'm not doing enough damage!" he cried.

"Fifteen seconds!"

Helba shouted "Hold on!" and she twitched for a second – or what Kite assumed was a twitch, as her idle animation seemed to skip in its normal loop. A second command; "Do it now!"

Frenzied, Kite began hacking for all he was worth, launching immediately into a combo attack; he almost danced, on the ground and in the air, as he stabbed and slashed again and again. Seven thousand left, then six thousand; the attacks were ten times as powerful as before. Five hits, six, seven.

"Aw, shit! She de-equipped herself! Somebody stop that kid! Move it!"

Eight. Nine.

Hiroshi barely heard the footsteps of another Twin Blade rushing to stop him; he landed the killing blow long before taking any damage of his own.

Helba crumpled to the ground, her staff slipping out of her hand, her long, flowing hair spilling down her back and over her shoulders, her dress and sleeves splayed out wide like a snow angel. As she turned gray, the indistinct figure above her head vanished, the arcs of electricity died, and the room slowly regained its color.

The sounds of battle faded, too, as all stopped to watch the spectacle. That silence was quickly broken as Stolls spoke to his comrades. "Log out and regroup," he said in a low, controlled tone of voice that was offset by the intensity with which he stared at Kite.

One by one, the other players gated out, leaving Stolls alone with Kite, Orca and company. The Wavemaster raised a hand, pointing squarely at the Twin Blade. "You're gonna pay for this, you little shit."

"You won't get away with this," Kite shot back, meeting the man's stare firmly, hearing his own heart pound in his chest.

The silver-haired Wavemaster turned away as teleport rings appeared and encircled him, causing him to vanish without a trace.

* * *

(How do I get myself into these things?)

Leaning on a fence overlooking the clouds below, Kite folded his hands together and gazed at the horizon, a gorgeous sunset which painted the sky in several shades of gold and orange. One of his feet rested on its toes, most of his weight centered on the other. He felt the wind playing with his hair, his shirt and vest, and for a second, just for a second, believed it was real.

After the fight, Lios had barged in and demanded an explanation. Everyone shared their pieces of the puzzle, which ultimately didn't amount to much; bad guys doing bad things, nothing he couldn't have guessed himself.

They wanted Aura, that much he knew. He'd tried to warn Lios about what Dean's notes had mentioned, about the rival Asara Corporation being connected with Felix Croker, the villain who had masqueraded as Stolls – or who Kite had guessed was playing the Wavemaster – but he'd forgotten much of it in the wake of more pressing matters.

Stolls' parting words had left him ill at ease. All of the boy's adventures online had been just that; things limited to a fake world, things that wouldn't follow him to the real one. Even with Dean, he had never fought an enemy that had a face offline.

He shivered, knowing that someone out there – a human, a felon – had promised revenge.

(It all goes back to the bracelet,) he thought, his eyes slowly drifting down to his hands. He clasped his wrist with the other hand, rubbing it softly. (I wouldn't be involved in any of this if I had never gotten the bracelet.)

Even still, he couldn't think, not for a minute, that he wouldn't have done everything the same, given the chance to do it all again.

"Hey, there you are."

He heard boots on a wooden bridge, and then on grass as BlackRose approached, taking a spot next to him by the fence. "Hi," he said, smiling at her.

"Everyone else left already." She leaned on the fence, propping herself up on an elbow, facing Kite. "Lios, too; he wanted to discuss everything that happened with the other administrators."

"It's hard to believe," he sighed. "So much happening in the game... I mean, even with all we've been through, and now these guys want to... they want to capture Aura."

She ran a hand through her wild pink hair, brushing back a few bangs. "Yeah. I can't believe we were led on by those guys. I mean, they almost got her. If you hadn't shown up when you did, they might have succeeded."

"Did we really stop them, though?" he wondered aloud, letting his doubts surface.

"Aw, c'mon," she urged, "you found out what they were up to, right? And we stopped them from capturing Aura. There's lots of time to worry about what to do next." She grinned, though it was obviously forced. "Don't worry about it!"

He chuckled. "Sorry... I guess that's what I do best, huh?"

"Heh heh." She let her grin fade. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, too... it's like we have to wait until they do something again before we can keep going."

"I think you're right."

The two were quiet for some time, perhaps a minute, perhaps longer. An unusual, though not foreign, impulse compelled Kite to scoot a little closer. He hesitated only briefly, untangling his hands and reaching an arm up and over her shoulders. She turned so she was facing the same direction as he, dipping her head lower to allow his arm around.

He heard a contented sigh from her, and detected one of her arms returning the gesture.

BlackRose stared off into the distance for a moment. "Are you still at Dean's place?"

"Yeah, I told mom that Yasuhiko invited me over for dinner. I should probably get going soon, though, it's almost 5:30."

"Really?" Her player glanced at the on-screen clock, and her character raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I thought it was later than that." A smile reappeared on her face, along with a hint of curiosity. "Hey, I just thought of something. There's that festival they're having downtown, the tech fair. It's in town because of that conference, you know about it?"

"Just the name," he replied. Without thinking, he added, "Why, you wanna go?"

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could catch them, and his face instantly started to turn red. "I, uh... um, well, I mean, were you..."

She laughed, and interrupted. "I know what you meant. I was just about to ask if you wanted to this weekend."

He glanced at her, and though she wasn't blushing she was doing her best to avoid looking directly at him. "I, well, it's okay if you didn't want to, I just..." she rambled, fidgeting on her feet in a way he found remarkably endearing.

Kite angled his body to face her. "I'd like to," he said softly.

Her smile grew, and grew less timid. She faced him once more. "Me too."

"This weekend, then?" he asked, wanting to be absolutely clear, even though he could physically see her words hanging in the air – or rather, he could if he wasn't looking at her instead.

She tightened her hold, looping the other arm around him in a warm embrace. "This weekend," she repeated.

He reciprocated, holding her with both arms. The two stayed there for what seemed like an hour, saying nothing; when they finally parted, it was reluctantly so, their hands lingering on each other's sides before falling away.

"I should probably log off and head for home," said Kite.

"Me too," said BlackRose. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"Thanks for all your help, BlackRose." He smiled once more. "We couldn't have done this..."

"Couldn't have done this without me," she parroted, an honest grin crossing her lips. "I know that already." A small giggle followed, and then she said, "but thank you, too, Kite."

Her eyes darted left, then right, and a dash of anxiety appeared on her face. He was about to ask what was wrong, when she suddenly leaned forward, eyes closed, lips puckered, and planted a quick, light peck on his left cheek.

Hiroshi was too stunned to reply; she giggled again at his expression, albeit shyly so, and quickly scampered away. The Heavy Blade threw an arm back, waving to him as she shouted, "See you later!"

Other players walking by could only wonder why a Twin Blade was standing alone near the grunty pen, blushing and grinning like an idiot for a full minute before logging off.

* * *

"Dispatch, this is unit 292. Requesting backup at the Shikima office complex, over."

"292, this is dispatch. Say again, over."

"I say again, requesting backup at the Shikima office complex. Shots fired, officer needs assistance. I repeat, officer in danger! I need backup ASAP! Over!"

"Copy, 292. We're alerting all other officers in the area. What's going on, over?"

"We have a firefight on the 18th floor, unknown number of participants. Visual confirmation of at least four gunmen, possible casualties. Over."

"Standby, 292. Backup is on the way."

- End of Chapter 20


	21. Give Me Liberty

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. Thoughts are indicated (like so). Well, thus begins the second half, or as I call it, 'my chance to make good on my claims of satisfying resolution.' Wish I had a more interesting segue into the actual story in these here notes, but what the hell, let's let the text do the talking. Or something. I don't know, it's friggin' 3am here. Give a guy a break :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Linkin Park - Session

Chapter 21 – Give Me Liberty

* * *

"Where am I?"

Darkness surrounded him, suffocating and absolute; his eyes searched in vain for something, anything to focus on, any kind of detail. His other senses seemed equally bereft of input, no obvious smells, textures, tastes or sounds.

Dean thought back over the past few minutes; a tense confrontation between the players, Helba, and the man controlling his own character. The realization that it had all been a trap. A brief, yet painful biting sensation across his chest, then falling away from his own body – half of it – and finally, nothingness.

A chill sank into his core, and it took him a few seconds to realize it had been there all along. "H-hello?!" he called, unable to hear his own words. "Kite? BlackRose! Somebody answer me!"

He shivered, and again took stock of his lack of surroundings; for the first time, he noticed he was able to see his own body, clad in a uniform that was at once familiar and unusual. He was quicker to find the police-issue 9mm handgun in a holster on his belt.

(They killed me.) He saw his 'death' again. (Yeah... that's right, it was all a trap for Helba or Lios. Shit...)

Feeling a sudden ache in his lower back, he slid a hand around to rub the offending area. (So... where am I? Didn't Helba say I was in front of a computer? Then how... why can't I see? How is any of this possible??)

He concentrated as hard as he could, trying to feel and see what wasn't there – the controller in his hands, the headset and visor on his head and over his eyes. His hands clenched and unclenched, grasping at empty air, eliciting a quiet sigh.

A chime rang, clear and low, coming from no obvious source or direction. There was another, and Dean scanned the area for the third time. Doing a 180, he leapt back, startled, when his eyes fell upon a silver-and-white figure, that of a small girl.

She was clad in a long robe that billowed out from her shoulders, hiding her slender figure; the robe bore several shades of multiple colors, shades of white, purple and pink; her hair was comparable, although more definitely white and gray with a purplish hue. A long, white shawl hung around her neck, held together by a silver clasp in the shape of infinity. Her eyes were a solid blue, shimmering despite the lack of light, and she looked on him curiously, analyzing him as he took in every detail of her.

Dean took a few steps toward the girl, and she matched his advance, floating gently toward him like a spirit, an effect that was only enhanced by the glow that radiated from her. "Are you..." he began, quickly losing his tongue. He came to a stop within arms' reach of her, and she halted as well.

"You're... Aura, aren't you?"

It came back to him after he said it; interviews and questions, other players and those who had investigated 'The World,' or been involved in it. The young girl inside 'The World,' the one who had given Kite the bracelet, the sum of Harald's efforts in the digital realm. Artificial Intelligence.

He detected a faint nod, a barely visible bobbing of the head; her lips parted and mouthed words, but her words were muted, inaudible.

"W-what's going on?" he stammed, surprise giving way to frustration. "Where are we? Where's everybody else?"

Pain filled her deep blue eyes, and he felt it as surely as any that could have happened to him. He remembered their plans, their attempt to extract Aura from 'The World.' The who, the why and the how were slowly coming back to him.

His attention to detail was next to return, and with it he spotted an irregularity, a graphical glitch which translated into a partially decayed spot along the edge of her robe. There was a minor blot on the otherwise immaculate garment, evidence of corruption or damage, he wasn't sure which.

The detective looked into Aura's eyes again. "I understand," he said, as assuredly as he could muster. "I have to get out of here. I can't stop them from in here." He slowed his words. "How do I leave here?"

She raised a hand, palm out, fingertips slightly bent, and waited. After a moment of confusion, Dean mirrored her gesture, tentatively touching his hand to hers.

A sudden current rippled through his body, all his nerves alight with energy; he gritted his teeth as a feeling of vertigo settled in his stomach, and he sensed that he was falling backwards.

He heard a soft voice calling to him as he settled on the 'ground'. "Please," she whispered, "wake up."

He lay prone, and though he could no longer see himself, he got the distinct impression he was lying on a bed. His head was propped up on a slight angle by something soft, and his hands were securely clasped on his belly around an object he couldn't discern.

(Wake up...)

The object in his hands became better defined; the material was plastic, tough with smooth protrusions that molded to his hands, shaped remarkably like a videogame controller. He became dimly aware of the words "System Error" flashing bright red before his eyes.

(Please, wake up.)

"Croker just called. The operation failed."

The voice came from his left, and shortly after he heard a door close. Footsteps, clothes rustling, a stifled sneeze, and then a second voice. "Nn... what do you mean? What happened?"

"It was that damn kid. The one who plays Kite. They caught onto us, I'm not sure how, but right we've got other problems. The police are in the lobby."

"What?! Aw... shit! All right, what do we do?"

Dean listened carefully to their voices, gauging their location. "Relax, I don't think they know we're here. Croker wants us to neutralize him and sneak the body out the service elevator. He's still under?"

"Yeah, hasn't made a move in a while. Was mumbling something about leaving, but it sounded like a bunch of nonsense, I wasn't really paying attention."

(They think I'm out,) Dean thought, suddenly seeing an advantage despite what little he knew. (Gotta keep still. For all I know, one could have a gun on me right now.)

"All right. I gotta use the john, just give him a dose of strychnine or something and let me know when his heart stops."

"Sure thing."

More footsteps, followed by a door opening and closing. He heard the other goon in the far corner, humming quietly to himself, along with the sound of glass bottles clinking.

(I don't have much time... if there's just one guy in the room, maybe I can escape. If he's looking at me, though...)

As a test, he tried to lift his arm up an inch, and found his arms were bound to the bed above the shoulder, pinning him down while allowing enough leeway for his hands to hold the controller. His legs were similarly restrained at the ankle. He held his breath, waiting for the cry of alarm at his movement. When none came, he got bolder, inclining his head and releasing the controller. He then bent his arms and reached for the headset, just managing to grasp it by the visor and pull it over his head.

The plastic and wires made an odd creaking noise as the headgear was removed, not very loud but not nearly quiet enough. Dean caught sight of a man in a doctor's outfit – a white coat, rubber gloves, and tan trousers – as he whirled around to stare at the detective, a shocked look in his eyes, a needle in his hands.

"What the... holy shit, you're awake!" exclaimed the doctor.

Dean wasted no time reaching for his bindings, just within the grasp of his fingertips. He started pulling at the strap, which was linked via a tight-fitting buckle; the doctor raced forward to stop him, but Dean got the strap open just in time to intercept him with a wide back-handed punch. Eyes on the needle, he blindly felt around with his now free hand and released the second strap.

"Son of a bitch!" hissed the doctor, advancing again with the needle. He made a lunge for Dean's arm, but was batted back again when Dean jerked his arm away and landed a backhanded punch to the doctor's head. He stumbled back, off his balance, stunned long enough for the detective to reach down and unbuckle his leg restraints.

"Ow! S-somebody help! He's awake!"

Dean scrambled off the bed, for the first time noticing that he was wearing light blue paper clothing, akin to a hospital patient. He reached the doctor just as he was coming around again, but Dean was far quicker; grabbing hold of his opponent's wrist, he pushed the arm back and threw a hard punch into the man's gun, forcing him to double over and grunt painfully.

His grip on the needle loosened, and Dean pried it out of his hand just as the door opened. Thinking quickly, Dean spun the doctor around and poked the needle against the side of his neck, using him as a shield. Without even looking at who had stepped in, Dean barked out, "Don't move!"

His eyes zeroed in on the gun in the guard's hand, to the point where all he noticed about the guard himself was that he wasn't actually in uniform, instead dressed in a dark blue blazer and a pair of matching slacks.

"Let him go, Stollis!" ordered Blazer.

"Put it down," Dean shot back. "Don't think for a minute I won't kill this asshole."

The doctor struggled in Dean's grasp, but ceased when Dean prodded the needle harder against his neck, not quite breaking the skin. He repeated his order, placing his thumb on the injector. "Drop the damn gun!"

Blazer's eyes moved from Dean to his hostage, and then back to Dean. Slowly, and with obvious reluctance, he bent over and placed the gun gingerly on the floor.

"Kick it away." Blazer complied; the gun scraped noisily as it slid over the tiled floor, and Dean released his hostage, scrambling over to the gun and picking it up. After double-checking the safety, he motioned Blazer to step away from the door.

The two men moved to the foot of the bed, Dean carefully circling around to avoid letting either one within arm's reach. He backed towards the door, turning the knob with his left hand and nudging it open. He then spun around and dashed through, leading with his gun.

A third man stood on the other side of the door in a black button-down shirt; he returned the favor with his own gun, as angry as he was surprised.

Dean was no less shocked, but acted first; he pulled the trigger without hesitation, and was nearly blinded by the flash, deafened by the report. The bullet caught the goon square in the head, killing him before he hit the floor. He fired his gun, too, a microsecond too late; that bullet sailed past Dean's head, missing by several inches.

The flare, however, didn't miss. Tongues of flame from the exploding powder scratched the side of Dean's face, causing him to howl in pain and clutch his left eye. Tears welled in both eyes as he staggered out of the room and into a brightly lit hallway, his vision blurred enough to make it relatively featureless to him.

"Augh... oh, god," he groaned, the side of his face only mildly burned, but enough to distract him from noticing other things. Like the clicking of a magazine being shoved into an automatic rifle.

The first round sailed through an open doorway he unknowingly stumbled past, along with the second and third; the rifleman trailed him through the wall, shooting effortlessly, if blindly, through the wooden obstruction. Dean doubled his pace, breaking into a full sprint, away from the trail of bullets that rapidly closed in on him.

He rounded a corner as the gunfire stopped, and heard several footsteps behind him. Throwing a glance backwards, he tripped over his own two feet and collapsed to the floor, landing hard on his back and forcing the air out of his lungs. Gasping and panting, he scuttled away from the corner, his eye clear enough to spot approaching shadows.

Raising the handgun, Dean pointed it at the edge of the corner, and waited for the first pursuer to round it. Blazer obediently went first, stepping right into Dean's sights. Two solid pulls of the trigger, and the blue, slightly blurry mass before him crumpled to the ground, pistol slipping from his hands as he fell still.

Frantic, Dean scrambled to his feet and continued running, firing blindly backwards; he let out a triumphant "Hah!" as he saw the cold steel doors of an elevator. Reaching the elevator, he punched the down button and turned around, keeping his gun aimed at the corner, which was now a sizable distance away.

Several seconds passed; though his heart was pounding as fast as ever, all he heard were the whimpers of bystanders.

He took another look around, shocked to find he wasn't alone; in the small lobby, three men and one woman, all in suits, had backed far away from him, looking on him with shocked and frightened expressions, the nearest man exclaiming something in Japanese.

The bell rang as the elevator arrived. Dean moved cautiously into the empty lift, and reached for the button to the ground floor.

More gunshots rang out, this time singular instead of in an automatic burst, this time felt instead of heard. As Dean hit the button, a 7.62mm round punched into the side of his waist, causing him to buckle and collapse. More bullets ricocheted off the far wall of the elevator, leaving large dents as the doors slowly closed.

"Ohhh..." he moaned, tears flowing freely from his eyes, the pain from his face quickly forgotten; he clutched weakly at the bloody hole, feeling the sticky warmth as his hand soaked in his own blood. Unaware of the elevator's gentle side-to-side swaying amidst its descent, he ceased trying to fight the pain, heavy sobs wracking his body as he started to cry openly.

An eternity passed before the doors opened to more startled shouts, most in Japanese, but one in accented English.

"Jesus... Dean! Look out, let me through! Make way!"

Semi-conscious, Dean cocked his head up and saw an elderly Asian policeman approaching him, holstering the pistol he had been holding. "Dean, can you hear me?? It's me, Masamoto!" His blurry face cringed, and he hollered back to one of his subordinates. "Koji, get the paramedics in here. You two, seal and evacuate the building! And someone find me the supervisor, tell me what the hell is going on here!"

Lieutenant Masamoto knelt down next to Dean, propping his foot against the elevator door to keep it from closing. He took one of the detective's hands into his, and snapped the fingers of the other hand before his eyes. "Dean, stay with me. Can you hear me?"

Dean let out a loud, hacking cough. "Aniki... uh, y-y-eah... yeah, I'm here... I'm... where am I?"

"It's all right, you're gonna be all right," he said soothingly. "It looks like it's just a flesh wound. We got people on the way, we're gonna help you."

"Heh," Dean grunted, angling his body as he tried to sit up.

Masamoto held him down. "Don't move. Just stay still." He paused to swallow. "Dean... what happened to you? Who did this to you?"

He wheezed, the pain slowly becoming numb to him. "18th floor," he rasped, "they're on the 18th floor. I don't know who they are." Another cough. "Made me play a game... they wanted to take her from the game. I remember now... I remember..."

One of the other officers returned, with two paramedics in tow. "Sir, we've got a stretcher. We're going to move him."

"All right, let's do this. On three!"

Dean barely felt other hands grab him, lifting him up and immobilizing him on the stretcher. He stared emptily at the ceiling, which moved above him as he was wheeled out of the elevator, out of the lobby, and into a waiting ambulance. Somehow, he knew he had to stay awake, he couldn't afford to rest, although his body was screaming at him to do exactly that.

Through it all, he had only one other thought on his mind; a promise he neglected to make, but intended to keep.

(Aura... I will stop them.)

- End of Chapter 21


	22. Returning to Life

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts belong to Cyber Connect and Bandai. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Nothing quite like a little break to get back into writing. Sometimes you gotta leave to come back, eh? Anyway, time for some catching up in the plot. _With sexy results_.

Okay, probably not. But read anyway, please? :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Oasis – Where Did it All Go Wrong?

Chapter 22 – Returning to Life

* * *

He took a long pull of air, fed to him through the tube that ran beneath his noise; he heard his own pulse from the attached electrocardiograph, just above the sound of distant footsteps and inaudible chatter.

Dean let his eyes wander over the contents of the hospital room. The floor and ceiling were beige, the walls a light blue. A picture of a vase of flowers hung opposite him, and an inactive TV sat in the corner on a shelf built into the wall, with the VCR above it showing the time at 6pm. The curtains were shut, and the last traces of the day's sunlight were filtered onto the floor, keeping the light in the room to a minimum.

There was a gentle numbness just above the left side of his waist; covered by blankets, he could only assume that was where he had been operated upon and bandaged.

Someone knocked on the door, and then the knob turned; the door opened, revealing a older Japanese man with a thin face and receding gray hair, dressed in a light brown suit. He stepped into the room, clasping his hands behind his back, appraising Dean with a small smile on his face. "Ah, you're awake. Good. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Dean answered; his voice and throat were dry, quieting his voice. "What's happening, Mas?"

Aniki approached the bed, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Dean. "I was hoping you could tell me that. It's been about 24 hours since we found you, and you've been missing for the past four days or so. You had us all a little worried."

Dean snorted. "Well, I would've called, but... but, uh... you know what, I'm too tired to be clever. Let's just say I've a bad friggin' week, huh?"

"You'll be fine," said Masamoto. "Lost some blood, but no serious damage; they got the bullet out and patched you up pretty quickly. Doctors say you might even be healthy enough to leave tomorrow."

"Good," said Dean with a sigh. "Did you find anything on the floor?"

The lieutenant glanced at the window. "Not as much as we'd hoped. The building administrator said they were listed under some consulting firm, just a front company. Eyewitnesses from the other offices saw two men heading to the freight elevator; they must have had a ride waiting, because they were long gone by the time we got there."

Dean nodded slightly, staring up at the ceiling. "I got two of 'em on the way out."

He looked back at the injured detective. "Yes, we found them. The coroner's working on an ID right now..."

"James MacReady," Dean cut in. "One of them was... James MacReady, just some heavy they hired. I don't remember the other one's name."

Masamoto creased his brow. "Who's 'they,' Dean? What were you investigating?"

"Ever since the convention started getting set up," said Dean, "I've been keeping my eye on Rosenberg, Asara Corporation's CEO." He grew more awake, his words gaining in strength. "I found out he's been meeting with some very bad guys, one of them I know quite well – guy named Felix Croker, he and I did a stretch together at San Quentin. There's sixteen that I've counted so far, some of them ex-cons, one's a mercenary, they got a couple tech guys too. I got a list of 'em at home."

"What are they here for?"

Dean let the question hang for a moment, phrasing his response in his head first. "Do you remember way back when I first came here? The night you guys arrested me for breaking into Cyber Connect?"

Masamoto nodded. "You and the late Mr. Kayora were here to steal data from Cyber Connect. Some sort of autonomous program, right?"

"Delphi, yeah." Dean paused again, this time for emphasis. "And then later, when you helped me get info one of CC's programmers, Seijiro Tanaka. We found out about Morganna?"

"The AI from the game." The lieutenant narrowed his blue eyes. "What are you getting at, Dean?"

"What if I told you it was all happening again? That Rosenberg has hired a new batch of guys to steal from Cyber Connect – this time from inside the game itself, 'The World'?"

Aniki's lips pressed into a flat line. "I'd ask what they plan to steal."

"Not what. Who."

Surprise crossed the older man's face, but he caught on quick. "Another AI?"

"Yeah; kind of a software lock that Harald installed into the game to protect against Morganna, at least that's how I understand it. But she's alive. Her name is Aura. She spoke to me... helped me to wake up back there." Dean shivered. "Look, what matters right now is they plan to extract her from the internet somehow, and I don't know what they're planning to do with her, but if it's Rosenberg, it can't be good."

"Aura? I see." Aniki looked away for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'll be damned... well, you've been right about all this stuff before, but I will have to ask you more about this... Aura later."

Dean half-smiled. "Gotcha. In the meantime, why don't you tell me more about what you found at the office."

"They left behind quite a bit of hardware," said the lieutenant. "You'll get an exact list later, but off the top of my head... a laptop computer and controllers, a ton of tranquilizers and some other chemicals, some small arms, and video recording equipment. It looked like they were doing more than just keeping you under there. Speaking of which, they also had some of your things, too."

"Yeah, that was all a decoy," Dean lamented. "I walked right into it. Basically they wanted to get the attention of a hacker, and used her as an intermediary to try and extract Aura."

Aniki was quick to change the subject. "However, the office wasn't very large. There couldn't have been more than half a dozen men at any given moment."

Grumbling, Dean echoed the statement. "I counted four on my way out, including the two dead guys."

"If you can add, that means they've got more of these places set up around the city."

Dean chuckled wearily. "Just when I thought somebody up there was starting to like me again..."

Masamoto rose from his chair. "Tell you what. You rest up, and give me a call when they release you. We'll figure out what to do next later, okay?"

The detective's eyes drifted shut. "All right."

* * *

"It's this one on the right, up ahead."

Masamoto followed Dean closely, watching carefully as the detective navigated the hallway, a bit of a limp to his step as he tried to avoid putting weight on his wounded left side. Though the gunshot had been far from mortal, and despite the doctor's assurance that he would recover quickly, he had been advised not to carry anything heavy; Masamoto had all but insisted on carrying Dean's personal effects, which had been taken from him when he was captured.

He passed the duffel bag from his left hand to his right, and saw Dean come to a stop at room 306.

"Hey, I never asked," he began all of a sudden, "how did you find out where I was, anyway?"

"You know a kid named Hiroshi Nakosuke?" He mumbled in affirmation. "He told me about what you'd found out from your notes, and mentioned the office complex."

Dean laughed quietly to himself as he unlocked the door. "You're kidding! Hiro called you?" He shook his head and opened the door, stepping inside and hitting the light switch. "I'll be goddamned if that boy ain't worth his weight in gold."

Aniki joined him in the apartment. "Where do you want the bag?"

"Just set it on the floor, I'll sort it out later. Thanks, Mas; I owe you one."

"Oh, don't you worry," Masamoto replied, "I have a hunch you'll be paying us back real soon."

"Yeah, that's been happening to me a lot lately." Dean rolled his eyes. "I swear to God, this city's gonna kill me one of these days."

"Heh heh. Well, don't forget about tomorrow. Meet me at the police station at noon, we've got a few things to work out."

Dean slowly paced around his apartment, looking for anything out of place, though it had been too for long to remember what 'in place' looked like. "Yeah, will do. Car's at the impound lot, right?"

"Mm-hmm. You can pick it up as soon as we're done tomorrow."

"Cool." Casually sauntering over to the bag, Dean knelt down and began rifling through it. He let out an audible "Huh?" when his hands came upon something cold, hard and angular. He took a firm grip on the object and pulled it free from the bag, eyes widening as he found himself holding a familiar Glock .40 handgun, its magazine missing and chamber empty.

"Holy hell, you found this?? I thought for sure they'd go and frame me with it or something."

Masamoto began to speak, as Dean cradled the gun in his hands. "Well, there were other prints on it, but it wasn't loaded."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, I never bothered to load it after I got it back last time. I tried to bluff with it when I went in, but, uh... heh, didn't quite work out that way." He pushed the bolt forward, creating a satisfying click. "It was a gift from my old partner; had to reapply for a permit after I got out of jail. This little guy and me have been through a lot this past year."

Aniki raised an eyebrow, convinced if the detective could have emoted a smile, he would have. "Right. Well, uh, I'll see you later. Have a good night, Dean."

"Yeah, you too, Mas."

He stuffed the gun back in the duffel bag, standing up as Masamoto left and closed the door behind him. A slight twinge in his left flank caused him to wince, and he rubbed the bandage-covered portion of his body, almost able to feel the stitches through his forest green t-shirt.

It was then that he noticed the light on his answering machine was flashing. He strode over to the device and hit the play button, then turned back to the bag.

"You have five new messages," the machine said in a monotone, vaguely feminine voice.

(Just five?) thought Dean. (Heh, I'm in demand.)

"Message one."

(Ah-ha! My jacket!) Dean reached into the bag again and pulled out a brown leather jacket, another possession he had developed an attachment to. Despite its obvious age and abuse, the jacket looked remarkably clean, and he couldn't stop himself from trying it on, as if unsure that it would still fit him, as if he'd been gone for four years and not four days.

The answering machine clicked twice, and then began emitting a dial tone. With a frown, Dean stood back up, marched over to the machine and hit the 'erase' button. "Message erased," it chirped, followed quickly by, "Message two."

A young boy's voice carried through the recording. "Dean, it's Hiro. My connection's down, so I won't be able to get online today. I'm gonna go see Yasu; if you find out anything about that guy, send it to his account, okay?" There was a pause. "Orca at The World dot com. Maybe he can help us out, too." He stuttered briefly as he added, "A-anyway, take care, Dean. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Dean smiled, something warm and fuzzy hitting him hard in the gut. (Heh. Guess I owe you one too, Hiro man.)

"Message three." A change of voices, to that of a falsely enthusiastic salesman. "Are you an entrepreneur? Are you interested in working out of the home?"

"I already do, thanks," he murmured, punching the 'erase' button.

"Message four." Another change in voices, this one a lot more welcome than the last. "Dean-o! Pick up the phone, I know you're there. Aw, what's the matter, too busy to talk to your old man?" A laugh. "You know it's 8 in the morning here, right?"

(Aw, man... sorry, Dad.) Dean collapsed on the nearby couch, letting out a long sigh, a sudden bout of fatigue catching up with him. (Hope he's not too upset...)

"Ah, I'm just hassling you. Gotta hassle you, that's what we do, you know?" He could hear the grin in the speaker's voice. "Well, I just thought you'd be in. I'll talk to you later, Dean, okay? Bye."

Dean rubbed his forehead, hearing the machine announce the fifth message. (Well, that's two people I need to call back... dammit, I just woke up and I feel like I need a vacation. Hell, I probably need two.)

"Hello, Dean."

The woman's soft, smooth voice jarred him from his reverie, tickling a particular spot in the back of his memory. A voice attached to a name, a woman, an informant who had helped him a while back – Miku Kurasawa.

(BT.)

He glanced over at the machine as it continued to speak. "I... was hoping... trying to get ahold of you." She hesistated; he got the impression she was silently chastising herself. "I saw you online yesterday. Is everything all right?"

(Online? What's she talking about?)

"In any case, call or mail me when you get a chance. There's something I want to ask you. And... whatever it is you had to do, be careful. Er, take care, I mean." She said something under her breath, and then the line clicked.

"End of messages."

Dean flopped back against the couch, groaning in simultaneous contentment and frustration. He didn't bother with questions, instead closing his eyes and settling in for a catnap, making a mental note that he had to finish unpacking later.

And a lot of thinking to do, too.

- End of Chapter 22


	23. Knowing Something About Everything

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. Parentheses are thoughts. You may recognize a name here; you may also recognize a date here. I assure you that while the former is intentional, the date is quite incidental. Our hero's reaction in many ways parallels my own, if exaggeratedly so. With that in mind, I decided to run with it. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, read on, and you'll see what I mean :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Tantric – Astounded

* * *

Chapter 23 – Knowing Something About Everything 

From: Stolls

To: Kite

Subj: Let's Meet

Hey, Hiro man. I want you to know that what happened, happened thanks to your help, but this isn't the best place to do it. We need to square away everything that's been going on; I'll tell you what I know, and you can tell me what I missed out on. Sorry for being vague, but if you-know-who is still doing you-know-what to your computer then it'd be safer to go into this in person.

Wait out in front of school tomorrow, I'll be there after your classes are over. There'll be a lot of kids and teachers around, so you should be okay.

I know you're probably skeptical of whether or not this is really me. The best I can do is ask you to trust me, and tell you that if anything looks suspicious, head back inside and call for help. But regardless, I'll be there.

* * *

"First, let's go over what's happened so far." 

Masamoto leaned forward and propped his elbows up on his desk, sharing space with the neatly ordered piles of paperwork around his computer. Across from him sat Dean, clad in a white button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, leather jacket slung over the back of his chair. Noticeable rings under his eyes hinted at a lack of a good night's sleep.

"Now you told me at the hospital that you were watching Asara, and they had hired several men to steal from Cyber Connect, like you were originally supposed to."

Dean nodded. "Here's what I've got. Harald coded a series of artificial intelligence programs into 'The World' – including Morganna, which was originally meant to govern the game, in a sense."

"Yes, I remember speaking to that programmer for Cyber Connect." He motioned to Dean. "Go on."

The younger man made a vague gesture with his hand. "Something went wrong with her, though. All those mysterious coma cases at the hospital have to do with her, and things she was trying to do. Aura was a program meant to fix her, and yet I'm not entirely certain what else she was meant for." His mouth twisted into an odd smirk. "At the moment, she seems to have replaced Morganna, but nobody's seen either of them for a while."

Aniki looked confused. "Wait, wait. At the hospital, you said she spoke to you. What happened?"

"I'll get to that," said Dean, "but first let me tell you how I got involved. One of the guys who came to Japan with me – Max Kerrek – works for Asara; he's the one who contacted me, by order of Rosenberg. Rosenberg got away pretty clean from everything that happened that night, even though Max was willing to blow the whistle. Most of the evidence we had was either circumstantial, or… well, gained from somewhat illegal methods."

Masamoto watched intently as he continued. "Anyway, Max called me one night and told me that their CEO had met with one Felix Croker. I got suspicious, and started poking around; it got worse when I intercepted a fax meant for him and found out he'd been meeting with other ex-cons. Then I recovered a disc detailing an operation, where they would try and extract Aura from the game."

"So they were trying to get Aura for Rosenberg?"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too." Dean sighed as he added, "But, nothing I have links them to Rosenberg; or, more accurately, nothing legal. You probably know the rest. They caught me snooping around, kidnapped me and kept me doped up so they could use me as a decoy in the game, had me telling others exactly what they wanted me to tell 'em. That's where I saw Aura; my guess is in the process of trying to extract her, they woke her up, and she woke ME up. Made it all seem like some elaborate revenge thing, some kind of system anomaly, but it was all cover for a theft."

"Something about this sounds familiar," said Masamoto.

Dean leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, they did something like that in Die Hard 3." He laughed softly. "Ain't that a freakin' riot?"

The lieutenant grunted in amusement. "So that's the story so far?"

Dean shut his eyes and stretched, covering his mouth with one hand as he yawned. "Huaaahh… mmm, sorry, I was tossing and turning. But yeah, that's what I've got. What did you guys find out?"

Masamoto reached over to the nearest stack of papers, and took the sheet on the top, which he then handed to Dean. "This is a list of everything we found in the office. I've highlighted the interesting parts."

Dean mumbled the words to himself as he read the list. "Intravenous solution, EKG monitor, RA-series anesthetic… what's that?"

"A rather potent painkiller. We figured they mixed it with some of the other chemicals on that list to make a sedative; one of the side effects is that it inhibits the senses, and makes the user very open to suggestion, though the effects don't last longer than a day or so."

The detective muttered a quiet "Hmm" to himself as he kept reading. (Software for 'The World', hidden microphones, cameras but no tapes, one Browning handgun plus ammo, three magazines of 7.62mm ammo, one… wait, is that right? 'Dragunov SVD rifle plus ammo'.)

"What the hell were they doing with a sniper rifle?" he asked to himself. He looked up, alarmed. "Have there been any recent shootings?"

Masamoto gently shook his head. "None that haven't centered around you. Gun violence is very rare here, especially with these kinds of weapons."

"Super," Dean remarked in deadpan; Aniki couldn't tell whether it was intentional or just from fatigue. "So they were planning on killing someone."

"You might have just changed their plans, though," Masamoto replied. "You were right about MacReady; it looks like he was hired as a guard. Just some small-time armed robber that was recently bailed out of Rikers. The other victim is one Aaron Walsh, and his prints were all over the sniper rifle. I think you killed their shooter."

He shrugged at the news. "That leaves fourteen; the fax I found said there were sixteen in all. I thought I had the roster at home, but I guess I was imagining things. I tried looking for it and couldn't find it. The only ones I can remember offhand were Felix and James"

"In that case, we have something that might be of use to you." Aniki turned to another pile, and skillfully plucked a manila folder from it, handing it to Dean. "The lessee for the office is a man named Calvin Cahill."

Dean took a look at the name on the folder. "This isn't his file?"

Masamoto arched his eyebrows. "He has no file. It's probably an alias, but," he held up a finger, "this Cahill fellow checked out the office several times before securing the lease. Two of those times, there was another person who was on-site that day, aside from building staff. That file you're holding is everything we know about that person."

Opening the folder, Dean was greeted by the photo of a plain-looking, middle-aged Japanese man, hair short and curly with a single lock hanging down over his forehead, a lopsided smile on his face. "Junichiro Tokuoka," he read. "He checked out the office, too?"

"I've reason to believe he was spying on Cahill," Masamoto explained. "On that list, you might have noticed there were listening devices? We didn't find any prints from the bodies on them; it's my guess that Tokuoka planted the bugs, but right now that's all it is – a guess."

"And you want me to follow up on it, right?" Dean asked.

Masamoto smiled. "Well, you were going to do it anyway, weren't you? Maybe not on him, exactly, but…"

Dean waved a hand and cut him off in mid-sentence. "Yeah yeah yeah, I get it. Don't worry, I'll check this guy out. You got a post-it or something I can copy the address on?"

The lieutenant tossed a small stack of yellow sticky notes his way, and then handed him a pen. "Here you go."

"Heh heh." He hastily scribbled down the address and then put the file down on the desk. "You realize this isn't exactly legal, right?"

"You let me worry about that," said the aging policeman. "Trust me, there's a very large gray area when it comes to securing civilian assistance in emergency situations." His smile vanished; his voice became stern. "Understand that I'm not turning you loose, nor am I giving you implicit freedom to do whatever you want without police interference. There are still rules, and you still must come up with legitimate information before we can proceed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Dean quickly responded. "You can count on me, Mas, I'm all about gray areas."

"Glad to hear it." There was a faint glint in Aniki's eyes, almost mischievous. "Now go do what you do best."

* * *

He scanned the crowd carefully, the mass of uniforms and black hair denying his best efforts to check each student as they passed. (C'mon, Hiro, where are you?) 

Casually leaning against the chain-link fence surrounding the school, Dean gave up watching the kids as they exited the building, instead staring straight forward, idly rapping his fingers against one of the fence poles. His knuckles counted off the seconds against the metal, and hit sixty-two times before he heard a voice he recognized.

"Hey, Dean! Over here!"

He looked out over the crowd again, which had thinned out considerably; he spotted a hand up over a small cluster of boys, and when they passed he spotted its owner, a smiling Hiroshi standing next to another, taller youth with slightly longer hair.

Dean grinned and jogged across the enclosure, joining the two boys. "Heya, Hiro man."

"Hi, Dean!" he said cheerfully, as if it had only been a day or so since the last time they saw each other face-to-face. He indicated his friend with a nod. "This is Yasuhiko."

Dean nodded courteously. "How you doin', man?"

"I'm all right, thanks," he answered. "It's… nice to finally meet the real you."

The detective chuckled warmly. "Yeah, likewise. C'mon, I'll give you guys a ride home."

Hiro and Yasu joined Dean as he headed past the fence, towards the parking lot. "You boys did a hell of a job," he commented, getting right to the point. "Got me out of trouble and stopped them from taking Aura. Not bad at all."

His comment seemed alien, out of place in the real world, and Hiroshi could only imagine what anyone eavesdropping might have thought. "What actually happened, Dean?"

Dean groaned, digging through his pants pocket for his keys. "Well, it's pretty much like what I came here to do, only they're actually good at it. Bunch of bad guys – and believe me, that's the best way I can put it for now – anyway, a bunch of bad guys have been hired to kidnap Aura. I started looking into it, they caught me, doped me up, used me to deceive you guys, et cetera."

"That sounds awfully simple," Yasu said warily.

"It IS awfully simple," the detective agreed. "All that crap about Felix and getting even with me, bringing down the internet, or whatever the hell they were talking about back then, it was all a smoke screen. It was all about kidnapping Aura."

"That much I figured out from your notes," said Hiroshi. "But who are they?"

He spotted his vehicle, the blue Civic with dice in the window. "That's what I intend to find out, my friend. I don't suppose you found out about anything else?"

"Hiro and I followed the others," said Yasu, "and we found them all fighting a bunch of other characters, including yours. They were using Helba to get to Aura, and we barely got to her in time."

As they reached the car, Dean fumbled with the door key, sliding it in, then removing it and turning it right side up and trying again. "Hmm. I think it's safe to say they'll try again, but I don't think they'll do that trick twice. We're going to have to be careful from here on out." He opened the door and hit the lock release, unlocking the other doors. "Was there anything else?"

The three climbed into the car, Hiroshi sitting up front and Yasuhiko in the back. "Actually, yeah," said Hiro, "I remember Balmung mentioning a guy's name, somebody Stolls was talking to at the time." Buckling his seatbelt, he called back to his friend. "What was it, Yasu? I know it started with an M."

"Monroe," corrected the taller boy. "Balmung said Stolls gave the order to lock the field down to him."

"Monroe," Dean echoed. "That's gotta be their hacker. The place I saw wasn't that big, they must be operating out of other locations."

Hiro gave him an odd look as he slid the key into the ignition and started the car. "The place you saw? You mean that office, right? Is that where you've been this whole time?"

Dean threw an arm over the back of the passenger seat, looking through the rear window as he slowly backed out of the parking space. "Yeah, they were basically using me as a prop for the whole thing. Had me playing as hacked characters without even knowing it." Finished backing up, he faced forward and shifted to drive. "Thought I was losing it," he said quietly, a distant look in his eye.

Hiro caught the look, recognized it. "Are you all right?"

"Eh…" he couldn't give a verbal answer, instead raising a hand and tilting it in a so-so gesture. "Had a hard time sleeping last night, I'm running on caffeine now." A mild itch welled up on his left side, just over his waist, and he grimaced as he scratched at the sensitive area. "And aspirin."

"What happened to you?" asked Yasuhiko. "Oh, take a left out of here, my house is closer."

"I saw Aura after my character got killed." He braked at the stop sign, hitting his left turn signal. "I think when they tried to draw her out, she sensed that I had been knocked out. She managed to wake me up, and that's when I found myself in the office. Then, I got shot trying to get out."

"Oh my god!" Hiro gasped. "Are you all…"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dean interrupted. "It wasn't too bad, well, as it goes anyway. Patched me up, couple days at the hospital… it wasn't pleasant, don't get me wrong, but it could've been a lot worse. Guess I lucked out."

Yasuhiko leaned forward between the front seats. "What does it… feel like?"

"Well… it's over pretty quick. Let's leave it at that." Spotting an opening, he touched his foot to the gas pedal and rolled forward. "So what else is new with you guys?"

"Heh heh… funny you should ask." Yasu looked over at Hiro. "Go on, tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Hiro suddenly looked embarrassed, glancing out the window. "Well…"

Dean glanced back at Yasu. "Where to?"

"Straight ahead and left at the next light," he answered. He then turned back to Hiroshi. "Come on, you told me easy enough."

"C'mon, Hiro man, you can tell me." Dean saw a flush of color on his younger partner's face, and a sly grin crossed his own. "Oh-ho-hooo, wait a minute. Is this about a young lady in particular?"

Hiro clammed up even further. "Um…"

Dean's eyes went back to the road. "Bingo."

"I-I didn't say anything!" Hiro exclaimed.

"You didn't have to," countered Yasuhiko. "It's written all over your face." Then to Dean, he said, "He's got a date with BlackRose on Saturday."

"Outstanding," was Dean's response. "I knew you had it in you. You have to let me know how this goes down. So where you two going?"

"The, uh… the tech fair. That festival they're having downtown this week."

The car slowed down as it hit a red light, drifting into the turn lane. "Oh yeah, the Annual Global Tech Expo. What's this, 5th year so far? It coincides with the cyber-terrorism conference. That's cool, you guys are both into online games and stuff. I went there once… whoa."

Hiro drew his head back in surprise as Dean stared at him. "You're going this Saturday?"

"Yeah, why?"

"As in, Saturday the 14th?"

The shorter boy heard his friend mutter "Uh-oh" before repeating himself. "Yeah, this Saturday. Why?"

The light changed, and Dean started the turn. "Well, you know what February 14th is, don't you?" A blank look on Hiroshi's face told him to continue. "Word to the wise, you may want to get her something nice. That's Valentine's Day, my friend."

Dean and Yasuhiko shared a laugh at Hiro's reaction to the revelation. Were it possible for a human to blush and turn pale at the same time, they were certain Hiro would be doing it.

"And I thought my life was interesting," said Dean between laughs.

Chapter 23


	24. Start of a New Trail

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Sorry for the slow updates as of late; between tests, papers, getting sick as a dog and fighting with the washing machine, all my writing efforts have been stymied thoroughly. WOE! Anyhoo, you know the drill. Read on, enjoy, and critique to your heart's content :)

On a technical note, I'm not sure how many digits are in Japanese telephone numbers; although I have a hunch it's not seven like it is stateside, Google is being a bastard at the moment so I can't be sure. Corrections in this manner would be appreciated.

This chapter done to the tune of: Moke – My Degeneration

Chapter 24 – Start of a New Trail

* * *

"So, what should I tell her?"

Dean shrugged at Yasuhiko, standing on the curb next to the car. "Hell, I don't know, make something up. Tell her your last class was cancelled or you got let out early. Something like that."

"I guess I'll think of something," he replied. "See you later, Dean, Hiro!"

Dean and Hiroshi waved to the boy as the car drove away. His attention returned to the road, and he asked, "Which way to your house?"

"It's a couple blocks over," Hiro replied, pointing at the stop sign up ahead. "Take a left here."

"You need an excuse for your parents, too?"

Hiroshi shook his head. "No, my mom works during the day. Yasu's does too, usually. And dad... he..." The sentence hung for a moment. He finished with, "We're kind of separated right now."

Dean felt a twinge of pity as he neared the intersection. "Aw, I'm sorry, man." He waited a couple seconds before asking, "How'd it happen?"

"He used to work with some big accounting firm... I don't remember the name." Hiro sighed. "It's been about two years. He worked a lot of late nights; mom and dad never had big fights, or anything like that, but there was always this..." he frowned, "tension. It's like... everything they said to each other had some kind of... of..."

"Subtext?" Dean suggested, hitting the turn signal.

Hiroshi nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Anyway, I don't remember a whole lot about how it happened, but one night dad came into my room to talk about it." His features grew dark, severe. "He said something about how he and mom needed some time apart. A week later, he was headed for New York."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," parroted Hiro. "I haven't seen him in over a year... actually, this is the first time he wasn't able to make it home for Christmas."

"Damn," he muttered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

The 14-year-old scratched the back of his ear. "No, it's all right. It's just... it just surprised me. I didn't see him leave, he and mom didn't fight about it, even mom and I never talked about it much. It just... happened." He looked at Dean, then added, "Like it was normal."

Without missing a beat, Dean replied, "Life's like that sometimes."

"How do you mean?"

"That's what my captain used to tell me back on the force," said Dean, a strangely distant look in his eye. He continued as the car eased down the road. "Told me that the first time I shot someone. I mean," he licked his lips, "it's not like it is on TV or in the movies. It's just a loud bang, and then they're down, and next thing I know he was at the coroner's and I was doing paperwork."

"Captain said... I forget how he put it exactly, but it had to do with some things being just..." he frowned. "Ah, I don't know he said it, but it's like the opposite of a series of events, like, it's one long... something, I don't know. Mm!" He snapped his fingers. "Things have a way of happening without being noticed, right in front of our eyes. That's what he said." As he came to a stop, he glanced at Hiro. "I think he meant sometimes we just see things and our mind has to play catch-up; we miss the moment entirely, y'know?"

"I think I understand," said Hiroshi, who quickly found reason to change the subject. "Oh, right up ahead, there's my house," he added, pointing out the window.

Dean followed the pointing finger, pulling into a nearby driveway; the car bumped twice as each axle climbed off the curb, and came to rest before the garage of Hiro's house. "There ya go. Beats walking, doesn't it?"

"Sure does. Thanks for the ride, Dean." Hiroshi flipped open the lock on the door and reached for the handle, but stopped short, fingers just brushing against the metal lever.

Dean noticed his hesitation. "What's up? You forget something?" Hiro kept silent, prompting Dean to follow up. "You okay, Hiro man?"

"They said I was going to pay," he murmured, his eyes downcast.

Bemused, Dean shifted to park and turned slightly towards Hiro. "Who?"

Hiro faced Dean again. "The guy who was playing you." There was an uncertain quality to Hiroshi's eyes, melancholy in his words. "He said he'd make me pay."

"Hiro..."

"You said he was a criminal."

Dean flinched. He knew where Hiro was going with this. "Yeah," he quietly replied, nodding his head to questions not yet asked.

The 14-year-old boy looked away meekly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "What if..."

Dean didn't let him finish. "I'll stop them," he said firmly.

"But..."

"Hiro," Dean said in an insisting tone, which rapidly softened, "you saved her. You might have saved me, too. Think of this as me paying you back for that." He tilted his head, searching for Hiro's face. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

The detective took a deep breath, and spoke again. "I know it can't be easy for you... not being able to just tell someone what's going on. It's not even happening in the real world, it's not like you can just call the cops and tell them about it, or tell your family or friends." He exhaled slowly. "It's because you still have a life. You still go to school, play with your friends, do your homework and your chores, go outside, all that stuff you're supposed to do at your age."

Hiroshi swallowed inaudibly, watching Dean, who smiled back at him. "And you're gonna keep it. I promise."

The online hero felt his throat tighten, but managed a tiny "Thanks" in return.

* * *

BZZZZT.

"Hello?"

Dean cleared his throat and spoke into the intercom. "Junichiro Tokuoka?"

"Yes?"

"My name's Dean Stollis, I'd like to talk with you about the office you checked out last week, at Shikima."

There was some trepidation in his voice. "Concerning?"

"Concerning the mikes that were found in the office."

After a couple seconds, Junichiro answered. "Come on in." The door before him buzzed, and Dean pulled it open, stepping into the apartment lobby, an L-shaped room which was little more than a hall for the mailboxes and elevators, lit from above by halogen lights; around the corner, it stretched out into actual apartments, with a fire exit centered at the end.

He approached the elevator and pressed the call button; a microsecond later, the nearest door opened, far too quickly to have been waiting there. Sure enough, as Dean entered the elevator, a slender, middle-aged Asian man in a trenchcoat stepped off, glancing briefly at Dean as he passed.

Hitting the second button on the panel, Dean reclined against the right wall, watching as the door closed; the room shook slightly and rose, digital counter changed from one to two, and the door opened again, revealing a hallway of similar shape to the lobby. He got off the elevator and followed the worn blue carpet and beige walls, which carried him to room 213.

He knocked three times, and then clasped his hands behind his back. From inside the apartment, he heard footsteps, and then a click as a lock was released and the door opened.

Dean appraised the man evenly; he couldn't have aged a month or so from the file photo. Square jaw and face, hair short, curly and thick, eyes small and evenly set. He wore a pair of white trousers and a short-sleeve purple shirt, with a digital watch on his right wrist.

Junichiro's expression was unreadable, a perfect poker face. "What can I do for you, Mr. Stollis?"

"I'm investigating the men who rented that office," explained Dean, "and I saw your name on the registry. The police found hidden microphones which didn't have prints on them."

Tokuoka didn't budge. "And you think they're mine?"

Dean could almost see the verbal bait. "I'd like to know why you were there."

"Are you with the police?"

"Would you be honest only if I was?" Dean countered.

"Touche." A corner of Junichiro's lips hooked upward. "Please, come in."

He moved to one side as Dean entered, politely removing his shoes at the entrance. Junichiro closed the door behind him, and Dean took a cursory glance around the apartment proper; standard one-bedroom, kitchenette in a corner to the east, the west wall dominated by a TV and stereo, with a well-worn couch in front of it. A small fish tank flanked the doorway to the bedroom, clean and filled with several colorful species of fish.

Dean's attention returned to Tokuoka, who made his way to the refrigerator. "Can I offer you something to drink, Mr. Stollis?"

"No thanks."

He opened and leaned into the fridge, removing a half-full bottle of water. "The mikes weren't mine," he said as he closed the fridge, "although I did plant them. I simply used their own equipment against them."

"They were spying on you?"

Tokuoka mumbled the affirmative, taking a sip from the water bottle. "A few weeks ago some Americans showed up here, asking questions about my affiliation with Cyber Connect." He paused for a second. "My former affiliation. They were from the State Department, or so I assumed."

(From the State Department?) thought Dean. "What kind of questions?"

"They didn't directly ask about 'The World', although most of their questions did seem to pertain to it in some fashion." He frowned. "They never actually explained what they were looking into, but I didn't think much of it until later. I had left for Osaka, and came back a couple days later. Everything was in order, but my neighbor claimed she heard men in here one night. People moving around, whispers, things like that. I took a look around, and found a few microphones hidden around the apartment; one in the smoke detector, one by the phone, another by the computer, et cetera."

"And you think this is related to the visit you got?"

He took another sip of water. "Not until I got a call from a friend of mine who still works with the company. He and I still keep in touch, and he talked about strange characters that the vice president had met with."

(Where have I heard this before?) Dean mentally chuckled. "Go on."

"I got a name, Calvin Cahill. Tanaka said he looked like some kind of government official, but nobody was really sure. He heard the name 'Shikima', which, I gathered, meant the office complex." He stepped out of the kitchen, and headed for the center of the room, sitting down on the couch. "Imagine my surprise when I caught sight of one of the so-called agents in the building, in plain clothes."

"So you've been doing a little investigating of your own," said Dean, silently wondering why the mysterious 'they' would meet with heads from both companies. "What happened then?"

"I managed to stay out of sight; I scrambled the mikes, and rewired them to broadcast to my computer." He spotted Dean's quizzical explanation. "I did more at Cyber Connect than sit at a desk and type," he said with a trace of pride.

Dean walked over to the couch, and plopped down in a nearby chair. "You bugged the office. What'd you find out?"

The pride soon vanished. "Nothing. Apparently, the devices weren't meant for long ranges. I didn't think about it at the time, but it's likely they – whoever 'they' are – had a listening post closer to me than I was to them. By the time I realized it, there was no way I could get back into the building without being seen."

Dean felt his heart sink, taking with it his hopes for a new lead. "Why didn't you call the police?" he asked, though he was hard-pressed to really care.

Tokuoka gave a stilted laugh, seeming almost embarrassed. "I suppose I was curious at first. Even after finding the microphones, I wanted to find out what was happening on my own. Didn't get that far, though. Now, they would likely arrest me instead."

"I doubt that highly," remarked Dean. "But your friend did say that this Cahill person met with the vice president of Cyber Connect? You're positive?"

He sipped again from his bottle, smacking his lips. "Yes."

"Well, that's perfect," groaned the detective. "I'm after a guy who's nothing more than a name."

Junichiro seized the opportunity. "What exactly are you investigating, Mr. Stollis? Are you a detective?"

"Yeah, freelance," Dean answered. "I'm after these guys for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which," his voice trembled, "being that they were holding me in that office."

"They were holding you?" It was Junichiro's turn to look confused. "I don't understand."

Dean's fingers unconsciously dug into the armrest of the chair. "A guy I know in one of CC's rivals said basically the same thing you just told me, and asked me to look into it. They caught onto me, and kidnapped me; used me to..." he stopped, looking again at Junichiro. "You worked at Cyber Connect. You know how 'The World' was made, right? The things that were in it, the Data Bugs, the AIs and all that stuff?"

"Not entirely," he answered cautiously, his face tensing, "but I know what you're referring to."

"They're after one of the AIs, one called Aura," said Dean. "I don't know why yet; I'd thought they were planning to sell her to Asara Corporation, but with what you've said now I'm not so sure. Anyway, they kidnapped and drugged me, then had me play the game to draw out some hacker named Helba. Made me think it was all real, but she's the one they were really after. They didn't succeed, but they're still out there."

Dean leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands neatly folded together. "I need to know as much as I can about Aura, and why they want her so badly. If I can figure that out, maybe I'll find out what they plan to do with her, and how it would involve both companies. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that there's a lot at stake here."

"I see," uttered Tokuoka. "This is... this..." he parted his lips, clearly attempting – and failing – to form words. "I... I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, detective, I wish I could help, but... if it was about Cyber Connect, or even 'The World', that would be one thing, but I'm far from an authority on Aura."

"Do you have any suggestions? Seriously, anything at all you think might help."

Junichiro inhaled through his nose, letting his eyes close for a moment before answering. "The only person I can think of is someone I've never actually met. Are you familiar with the character Tsukasa?"

A klaxon blared in the back of Dean's head. "Yeah, a little."

"From what I understand, Tsukasa was connected to Aura, and spent a great deal of time with her." His face became grim. "He was also trapped in 'The World.' If anybody could tell you about Aura – anyone that didn't actually create her, that is – it would be him, and those he was with."

(Tsukasa... maybe Ryo could tell me about him,) thought Dean, remembering the name of Bear's player, yet another contact from a while ago. "Well, it's something to go on, at least," he said. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Junichiro repeated. "For what it's worth, I... know how you feel."

"How's that?" asked Dean, out of mild curiousity.

Junichiro tilted his head back, taking a final pull from the bottle, swallowing the rest of the water in one long gulp. "I started looking into the coma cases shortly after they fired me. One boy had been exploring an area in the game when it happened; I checked it out myself, and..." he cringed. "And I got hit, too. If Mai hadn't been there..."

"Mai?"

"She was one of his friends, and wanted to know what had happened to him," said Junichiro. "Anyway, like I said, I know how you feel. It's the game, everything about it... it isn't personal at first, but it gets that way fast, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," replied Dean. "It does."

* * *

From: Stolls

To: Bear

Subj: About Tsukasa

Hey, Ryo. I'm doing some research on Aura; I'll explain more in person, but the gist of it is I need to meet with the player of Tsukasa. You mentioned him a while ago, albeit briefly; if possible, I'd like to meet with him.

- Dean

* * *

BEEP

"Hello, you've reached 555-3937. I'm not here, please leave a message."

The words were in Japanese, but he recognized the voice and the number. "Miku, it's Dean. I got your message. I can explain what happened. Call me back when you can, okay?"

- End of Chapter 24


	25. A Look Back, a Step Forward

.Hack: Penance

A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters and concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Sorry it's taken so long to get another chapter up; simply put, this past week has been hectic and confusing. If you're so inclined, check my LJ for the story (link's in the bio), but suffice it to say it involves car trouble and housing trouble, and if there's two places you REALLY don't want trouble, it's your wheels and the roof over your head.

But enough. My apologies for the delay; please read, and enjoy. Pretty sure I got Tsukasa's name right, but any corrections would be appreciated. Oh, and keep your eyes open for yet another not-so-subtle game reference. These things are like sugar to me :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Tom Petty – Breakdown

Chapter 25 – A Look Back, A Step Forward

* * *

Aniki massaged his temples as he listened to Dean's voice on the other end of the line. He reclined slightly in his office chair, the dull beginnings of a headache welling up in his forehead.

"They were posing as U.S. agents, from the State Department," said the detective. "He got a lead from work and spotted them at Shikima; looks like this Cahill guy paid a visit to the veep of CC."

"Cyber Connect?" asked Masamoto. "So they were meeting with both companies?"

"It would seem so. According to Hiro, Felix admitted that it has to do with money. First I thought he was trying to steal for Asara, like I was; now I'm not sure what to make of it."

Aniki frowned. "It almost sounds like they're setting up both of them."

Coughing, Dean replied, "Well, it could be that, but I don't know how they could use Aura against Cyber Connect. I mean, granted, she's not exactly on the game box, but she's not a nuke. Hell, I don't really know WHAT she is."

"Her existence alone could cause some headaches, though," said Masamoto. "Scientists and programmers would want a look, you'd have hundreds of consumer advocacy groups demanding to know why these things were put in a video game – which I still don't clearly understand myself, I might add..."

"Yeah, I know, man, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me either. From what I hear, Harold was a brilliant programmer, but otherwise certifiable. But anyway, I know a guy who knows a guy who can tell me about her. With any luck, that'll tell us what we need to do next."

"All right." The lieutenant looked through the windows of his office, watching warily for any eavesdroppers. "Listen, Dean... the police here are suspicious of Cyber Connect, but Aura... AI in general is something of a touchy subject. We have evidence of people working on it; we just can't prove it exists. Now, I believe you... but..." He paused as he searched for the right way to phrase it.

"Don't worry, Mas," Dean said reassuringly. "I'll bring you something you guys can use. Believe me, I'm gonna need your help again before this is all over."

Aniki smiled. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." He heard some commotion from Dean's end. "What's going on?"

"Ah, just watching CNN."

A loud, guttural voice echoed through the line. "Spawn more overlords!"

"What the hell was that?!"

"Larry King. Listen, I gotta run a few errands, I'll talk to you later, Mas."

There was a knock at the door, which went momentarily ignored. "Alright, talk to you later then, Dean," said Masamoto before hanging up. "Come in!"

The door opened halfway, and a familiar officer poked his head into the office. "Lieutenant? The chief wanted to see you as soon as possible."

Masamoto looked curiously at his younger subordinate. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"It has to do with the convention," said the officer. He looked away for a second and then added, "It's something about the security detail, I think he's looking for volunteers."

* * *

"The hive cluster is under attack!"

Dean growled. "Yeah, I know. I can friggin' SEE it."

The detective watched helplessly as his base was effortlessly destroyed, waves of enemies literally sweeping his units and structures off the map in an orgy of digital blood and alien screams.

Giving a frustrated sigh, he exited out of the game and popped the disc out of the drive, nostalgia having given way to lack of skill. (Dammit... I really should stick to shooters,) he thought as he placed the disc back in a scratched jewel case.

(Wonder if Ryo's gotten back to me yet.) He acted on the unspoken question, opening his mail account, which answered with a rather blunt 'no'. (C'mon, man. Gimme something to work with here. I need a clue.)

Spinning the chair to his right, he kicked out the recliner and leaned back, staring blankly at the news channel on the TV in the corner. (Bogart didn't have to wait for clues,) he silently grumbled. (It was all find the bad guy, shoot the bad guy, find who the bad guy was working for, take THEM out and get the girl while doing so. None of this 'get your ass kicked and get by on luck alone' nonsense.)

As if to accentuate his thoughts, an accidental shift to his left awkwardly bent the gunshot wound in his flank, which had since healed to a small, but noticeable scar. He flinched at the brief stinging sensation, and wedged a hand between the arm of the chair and the side of his chest to gently caress the injury.

A tired yawn worked past his lips. (12 years on the force, maybe three or four times I've ever been in real danger. Now I can't go two months without getting in the way of some asshole technophile. All 'cause I got greedy once. Just once.)

He looked up at the ceiling, leaning back until he was nearly laying flat on the chair. His eyelids, his entire body felt heavier, burdened by an unseen weight. (I'm... I'm tired of this.)

The phone rang, jarring him from his bout with malaise. Snatching it deftly with his left hand, he hit the call button and propped it up with his shoulder. "Y'ello."

"Hello, Dean."

He sat up straighter, a slight jolt sent through his system at the woman's voice. "Miku, hey." He briefly fumbled with his next words. "Uh, h-how's it going?"

"I'm fine. How are you?" There was an indistinct softness to her voice, one that might have been concern.

Dean took it as such. "Well, I'm okay now. I, uh... I suppose I've got some explaining to do, huh?"

She let out a short 'hmm', followed by an amused, throaty chuckle. "That would be appreciated, yes, although that's not the only reason I've called." She changed her tone to a more serious one. "Ryo called me just a few minutes ago, he said you mailed him and wanted to speak to the player of Tsukasa?"

Bemused, Dean answered, "Yeah, that's right. What's going on?"

"There were a few of us who were involved along with Tsukasa. He thought it would be a good idea to me to be there as well."

"The more the merrier," replied Dean with a smirk. "What time does he want to meet?"

"Seven tonight, his house."

He checked the clock, mentally going over his schedule – or lack thereof. "That's fine. If you get a chance, could you let him know I'll be there? I lost his number."

"Sure."

"Thanks." Dean craned his neck, reaching back with his free hand to massage it. "Mmn... so, I guess that gives me time to explain. I, uh..." he paused, an idea forming in his head that caused him to shift nervously in his seat. "I... don't suppose you'd mind me telling it over a cup of coffee?"

"Coffee?" she asked with a hint of disapproval. "It's 4:30 in the afternoon."

Startled by her reaction, he fumbled his reply. "Well, I-I mean... would you... I mean, last night I didn't sleep..."

Miku cut him off. "I was just going to suggest that perhaps dinner might be more appropriate."

"Dinner," said Dean, briefly wondering if he'd heard right. "Yeah... dinner sounds fine. Any place in particular you have in mind?"

* * *

Conversations and dialogue in multiple languages flitted past his ears amidst the sound of glasses and silverware clinking and clattering. Over the din, a television could be heard, broadcasting a news bulletin in Japanese. Various scents touched at his nose, appetizers and entrees, steaming soups and blackened steaks and everything in between.

All around, the restaurant had been decorated with colorful lights, posters and pictures, miscellaneous movie and sports memorabilia, looking and feeling every bit the day-of-the-week burger joint that was a dime a dozen back home. Artificial to the core, and yet, seated in that small green booth, facing Miku with a black-and-white photograph of a man he didn't know on the wall to his left, he couldn't help but feel like he'd been there a dozen times before.

"So there you have it," he said simply, capping the tale of his investigation, his trip to the hospital, everything that had come before. "It's once more into the breach. I'm trying to find Felix, and whoever he's working with. Kite helped stop 'em online but I'm fresh out of leads, and we need to know why they want her so badly."

Dressed in a pair of black pants and a brown, short-sleeved blouse, Miku nodded studiously, a serious look on her otherwise soft features. "Well," she said finally, "I suppose that explains why you never returned my call."

"Told you I had a good excuse," he said jokingly, reaching down to his plate, where two thirds of a massive cheeseburger sat next to a small pile of thick French fries. He popped one into his mouth, his teeth and appetite making short work of it. "Mmm. I have to say, you're taking this better than I did."

She picked up her sandwich – a bacon, lettuce and tomato, minus the lettuce – took a bite and swallowed before speaking. "When I first met you, you were standing in my living room over a wounded man holding a gun to his head, and there was another one on the street in front of my house. Then later, more of those men kidnapped the both of us, where I was tied to a chair until we escaped, all the while being chased and shot at, until we got into a car accident and were all nearly killed."

Dean managed a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well..."

Miku waved a hand, halting his speech. "Relax. We've been over this. It wasn't your fault. I'm just saying that interesting things seem to happen to you frequently, and the only thing I find surprising," she smirked, "is that you're the one who isn't used to this sort of thing yet."

He ate another fry, washing down the remaining bits of potato with a sip of his Coke. "Yeah, I was thinking about that earlier. Let's just say that this stuff wasn't exactly my area of expertise back on the force, and they didn't exactly have a course in cheesy crime drama clichés in college." He took another sip, and then added, "In other words, I'm kinda making this up as I go."

She chuckled openly at the remark, and replied, "It shows, believe me." Her lips fell into a smile. "But... it's still good to see you're all right."

"Heh," he grunted. "Thanks. Good to still be here. Although, if I might change the subject for a second, I'm a bit surprised you recommended a burger joint."

"And what were you expecting?" She raised an eyebrow. "A fancy restauraunt? Japanese cuisine perhaps?"

"No, no," he said, laughing softly. "Well... maybe. I just thought you'd be up for something a little more... y'know, upscale."

More chuckling. She took the sandwich in one hand and asked, "Where do you think my name online came from?" For emphasis, she waved the sandwich back and forth.

"No lettuce," Dean noted dryly. "You know," he hung and shook his head, "I should've figured that out."

"Yes. Yes you should've."

He hefted the burger and took another bite, savoring the taste of the juicy, medium-well beef. "Mmph... so who's this Tsukasa guy, anyway? I've heard about him before, had something to do with Aura, but I never really looked into it."

She set down the BT and wiped her hands on the napkin, leveling her gaze at Dean. "For starters, he's a she."

Dean cocked his head back, face scrunching up in confusion. "Huh?"

"Morganna trapped her consciousness in the game, somehow keeping the character playing while putting the player – An – in a coma. She was... dissociated from herself, I guess you could say." Her focus drifted away, to the right. "Morganna tried to keep her – or, at that point, him – from wanting to log out, as Tsukasa was a conduit through which she would corrupt Aura."

"So she was using the character to corrupt Aura," Dean said, simplifying it in his head. "How? What was so special about Tsukasa?"

Miku sighed. "An... was a miserable girl. An abusive father, an unhappy childhood... I don't know the details myself, but I do know Morganna was using her despair – through Tsukasa – to corrupt Aura. The two were connected somehow, and in keeping Tsukasa safe, and isolated, Aura would suffer from his depression by association. Thus, she – Aura – wouldn't pose any threat to Morganna."

"Ahh," murmured Dean, "I think I follow." He glanced around the restaurant, sorting the pieces out in his mind. Absently, he glanced over the nearby patrons, looking for anyone who might be listening too closely, experience telling him he couldn't be too careful. Satisfied, he turned back to Miku. "I don't understand how any of it is possible, but it fits what I've heard. So what happened to An?"

"We eventually got Tsukasa to log out," she explained, "and offline, An awoke. Ryo adopted her, and she lives with him now."

Dean's eyes widened. "Now that's something I didn't know."

She nodded. "He was rather protective of Tsukasa in the game, and even did some investigating of his own, offline. It was..." her face twitched, "...it was all very strange."

"Yeah, I can only imagine." Dean took another sip of his drink. "So she could tell me about Aura?"

"Probably more than anyone else could."

* * *

Their shoes clacked merrily on blacktop as they strode through the parking lot, the chilly evening air seeping through the openings in their jackets. Miku shivered, and Dean zipped his shut, scanning the lot for his car.

"Y'know, I never asked," said Dean as they crossed under a light, "but how do you know Ryo? Did you meet him online?"

"We met a while ago, back..."

The rest of her response fell on deaf ears; he spotted the Civic, but his eyes were drawn to the vehicle before it, parked perpendicular to trap Dean's car in the space. A silver Range Rover barred his exit, rumbling engine akin to a low growl, angry headlights staring coldly at him, license plate marked as "LS-3909".

Something screamed at him to start running. Incentive came when he heard the engine rev twice.

"Dean? What's wrong?"

The tires squealed as the vehicle peeled out, jumping from a dead stop to fifty miles an hour in just over a second.

"Miku, it's them! Look out!"

- End of Chapter 25


	26. Directionless

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) This one's a little shorter than usual, which will be made up for in the next chapter when you-know-who starts talking about you-know-what; I blame my evil, evil schedule of tests this week for that. Also, the lyrics are from a certain Bobby Fuller song of some renown. You'll get it when you hear 'em :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Freedom Fighters OST - Isabella

Chapter 26 – Directionless

* * *

The vehicle was upon him almost before he could move; he leapt to his right, and would've dragged Miku along with him had she not been a step ahead, ducking in between a row of parked cars as the Range Rover sped by. They crouched down low, beneath the nearest car's hunter green frame out of sight.

"They were waiting for us!" hollered Dean. "Son of a bitch, they've been following us!"

Tires screeched loudly as the driver slammed on the brakes, and the ORV slid to a halt, its brake lights flashing brightly in the partially lit parking lot. Idling, three of the car's doors opened, and all but the driver stepped out, turning to where Dean and Miku hid.

"Dean?" hissed Miku, barely heard over the rumbling of the distant engine and approaching footsteps.

Silently, Dean touched a finger to his lips, and gingerly poked his head around the trunk of the car, eyeing their adversaries. (Why the hell would they come after us in public? Are they nuts, or desperate?)

As if he'd said it aloud, one of the men answered his question. "Come on out, Dean! We're not here to kill you!"

"How dumb do you think I am?!" Dean shouted back.

"How dumb do you think WE are?" asked a second man. "Look, just step out, this will only take a second."

Dean clenched his teeth, unable to get a clear look at the speakers, all quite well obscured in the fading light. "Damn it," he muttered. "What are they trying to pull..."

A low, disturbingly smooth and melodic voice spoke up, clearly not either of the two he had heard. His words carried a simple, familiar melody that was nonetheless mocking to the detective's ears.

"I needed money 'cause I... had none!"

Dean's blood ran cold. In disbelief, he stole another glance from behind the car. He couldn't be sure, but the middle of the three men had the right shape and size, and he could almost make out that same sinister grin.

"I fought the law and the... law won!"

Miku noticed Dean shudder, his hands tensing as if to form fists. "What's going on? Who is that?" she asked, half curious and half dubious.

His musical voice belted out the chorus once more, hitting the notes as if he'd written them himself. "I fought the law and the... law won!"

Dean gulped. "It's him. Felix."

Surrounding his grin, his perfect, pearly-white teeth, was skin tanned and devoid of wrinkles, nose and jaw rounded, eyes hazel and narrowed, auburn hair short, curly and thick. He was clad in a blue windbreaker with a white horizontal stripe, a pair of faded blue jeans, and black leather boots; his hands were in his pockets, the pants far too tight to possibly conceal a weapon.

"Takes you back, doesn't it?" called Felix. "Officer Stollis?"

Looking down at Miku, Dean said, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Her brows knit together. "What?! Are you crazy??"

"No, and neither is he," he answered calmly. "He's not gonna shoot us here." Turning back to Felix, he yelled, "I'm coming out!"

Steeling his nerves, he stepped out from cover and into the open lot, facing the three men near the parked Range Rover. He couldn't identify either of the two men near Felix, though he was sure one was Asian, the other white.

"And there he is," chuckled Felix. "Long time, no see, Dean." His grin faded. "You never call, you never write. I was starting to think you didn't like me anymore."

A single stilted laugh piped through Dean's chest, though he was in no mood to counter one joke with another. "Getting set up and shived has a way of souring a man."

"So it would seem," said Felix in a low voice. "Then I'll get to the point. We know where you're going and we know why."

Despite himself, Dean relaxed just a little. "That's wonderful. You want a medal?"

"After you had mine taken away?" replied Felix, a touch of ice to his words. "No, we just want you to stay out of our business."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You nearly run us down so you can tell me not to interfere?" His tone grew incredulous. "That's really it? That's what this is all about? Are you kidding? Tell me you're kidding."

"Aw, shut up!" spat the white goon, a lanky, blonde-haired man in a trenchcoat, clearly packing heat. "The only reason we're..."

"None of that," said Felix sternly, holding an arm out in front of the goon. "We wanted to make it clear that you're being watched." He paused, then smiled coldly. "Oh, and to tell you that we'll take care of your little friend, too. I assume you know which one."

Dean felt his chest tighten; from the sidelines, Miku saw his breathing shorten and his fists clench again. His jaw tightened, and he was almost visibly grinding his teeth together. "Felix, I swear to god... if you do ANYthing to that kid..."

"Yes, if I hurt a hair on his head, you'll kill every last one of us," Felix said with obvious scorn. "That's a given, don't you think?" His voice flattened. "Leave this one alone, Sergeant." He said the title as if it were a curse. "It's bigger than you know. Neither wants you dead unless you get in the way."

When Dean said nothing, Felix smiled wickedly. "Although, if I may be frank... I really hope you ignore this warning."

The analytical part of Dean's brain began wondering what Felix could be stalling for; the rest of him was quick to answer. "I'd hate to disappoint you... Captain."

Felix's face twitched, almost imperceptively. "Let's bottle up and go, gentlemen."

Turning away, the three started to get back in the Range Rover, but one of them – the Asian – stopped short, and threw a look at Dean; the expression on his face was hard to read from a distance, but the detective got the impression he was being studied.

"Sato, what are you waiting for? Move it!"

The Asian ignored the order, taking several long steps towards Dean. He, too, wore a trenchcoat, though it was tan, instead of the other thug's black. Dean caught a glimpse of a long object along the inside lining of the coat, one that looked suspiciously like the sheath of a katana.

"Why do you fight?" he said simply, his tone as dry as his aged, wrinkled skin.

Dean was visibly taken aback by the question. "Huh?" he muttered. "What are you talking about?"

"Who are you?" insisted the Asian. "Why are you here?!"

"Sato!" hollered Felix. "Goddamnit, get your ass in gear!"

Sato glanced back at the waiting Range Rover, then at Dean again. "This isn't over, boy," he said simply as he turned and headed back for the car, a noticeably unsteady sway to his walk.

Dean stood in silence as the car shifted gears and pulled away, several confused pedestrians watching as it left. He didn't hear Miku leave her hiding place to join him, and didn't know she was there until she spoke to him.

"What was all that about?" she asked, some measure of confidence in her speech now that the obvious danger was gone.

He looked at Miku, questions visible in his eyes. "I don't know about that Sato guy," he said, "but Felix..." he stopped, taking a deep breath. When he released it, he finished, "Felix... was my Captain back on the force. He's the guy who bribed me, the reason I got sent to prison. They caught us both."

Miku was surprised, though she hid it admirably. Her gaze followed the now-missing vehicle, her expression hardening. "That... explains a lot."

Dean dug through his pockets, fishing for his car keys. "You have no idea."

* * *

"You've reached the voicemail of Masamoto Aniki. I'm out of my office at the moment, please leave a message."

"Mas, it's Dean. I just saw Felix; he stopped us outside of some burger joint on the north side... uhh... shit, I forgot the name. Hey, Miku, what was... oh, nevermind. Anyway, he threatened us, me and Hiroshi. He's in a silver Range Rover, license plate LS-3909. There was some old guy named Sato with him, think he was Japanese; he had a katana with him, at least it looked like one. Gimme a call as soon as you get back in."

* * *

"Nothing?"

Dean folded the cell phone shut on the steering wheel, which he held with his free hand. "Ah, I figured he'd be out for the day. Worth a shot, though."

Miku leaned against the passenger door, her head on the window. "Why not just call 119?"

"Because that was a decoy," said Dean. "He could easily have warned us through any number of means; he likes being dramatic, but he's not crazy. Just like before, he's trying to get us to follow his lead."

"You're sure?" she asked.

"I'd bet my life on it," was his answer. He looked over at her, and immediately regretted the words.

Her eyes purposefully avoided his, and he could almost hear the unspoken question: would you bet someone else's?

Keeping watch on the road, Dean tried to speak as soothingly as possible. "I'm sorry about this. Are you all right?"

Her sigh was long and deep. "I'm fine," she replied after several seconds of silence.

Seeing red lights ahead, he took his foot off the gas and gently tapped the brake pedal. "You sure?" he asked again, unconvinced.

"Yes, I'm fine," she repeated in the exact same tone – no obvious hostility, anxiety, contempt, seemingly no emotions at all, and yet closely guarded, withdrawn. Her hair and clothes, more or less intact, were slightly disheveled, and her brown eyes seemed to stare down through the glove box, through the car and chassis, through the street that sped beneath their feat.

The realization hit him with all the subtlety and grace of a jackhammer on a gong. (I put her in danger,) he thought, horrified. Felix's words came back to him, haunting him. (I put them both in danger.)

The radio, all but inaudible, played a light tune of Japanese pop, a sugary coating to his toxic thoughts. (God knows they've both been through enough. Like she said, when we met, guys with guns broke into her house and tried to kill us both. And Hiro... he never would've gotten involved in my troubles if we hadn't been trying to exploit him... to use the bracelet.)

Images and scenes raced through his mind: black briefcases and small, unmarked bills; Internal Affairs breaking into his house and placing him under arrest; the Rams leading the Patriots 24-10 on TV; his old boss meeting a similar fate; him and another inmate ganging up on Dean in the exercise yard; a sharp, improvised knife drawing a line across his chest in blood.

He winced, almost able to feel the metal instrument against his skin. He heard Miku sniff, which brought him right back to the present, and the more recent past.

(Sato had a point,) he thought. (What AM I doing here?)

The doubts came roaring back, overwhelming him and making it difficult to concentrate. Hitting the turn signal, he eased the car towards the exit ramp, and drifted down to the stoplight below. (Am I doing any good by staying? Would they... would they in more danger if I wasn't here? Or less?)

"I'm sorry," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"I know," she replied quietly, though not softly, instead with a hint of regret. That hint was aided by her next three words: "So am I." The words were so quiet, he couldn't be sure whether or not she meant for them to be heard.

As the light changed, Dean felt a different kind of knife twisting itself into his chest.

- End of Chapter 26


	27. A Thesis on Life

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. Thoughts look (like so). Blame any inconsistencies in Tsukasa (offline)'s appearance here and in the show on my inability to acquire pictures (stupid Google Image Search) and the fact that I still don't have the last volume of the show. As an aside, no, that wasn't a Babylon 5 reference in the last chapter… well, not on purpose at least :)

This chapter brought to you in part by: Flaw - Recognize

Chapter 27 – A Thesis on Life

* * *

Dean groaned as he sat down at the kitchen table, opposite Miku and to the left of the owner of the house. Ryo Sakuma looked mostly as Dean remembered him: tall, square-jawed and friendly-looking, hair short, thick and dark brown, eyes younger than the rest of his face; a startling likeness to his online persona. Clad in a pair of worn brown slacks and a blue t-shirt, he sat forward in his chair, watching Dean as he told his story. 

"So, yeah, it's been an interesting evening," he finished.

Ryo nodded slightly. "So I see."

"And that's why I'm here," Dean continued. "I need to know as much as I can about Aura; I want to get an idea of what we're dealing with here."

"You said they were meeting with heads from both companies," said Ryo. "How do you know they're not blackmailing Cyber Connect?"

Dean shrugged. "There's not much to blackmail. They bought Fragment from Harald and modified it, but Morganna and Aura, far as I know, have been there the whole time. Even if it gets out that these things are in there, Cyber Connect has deniability – doubly so because apparently not even most of the dev team knew about them. And let's not forget, that A) Felix is an ex-con, and B) Asara is, uh," he cleared his throat, looking sheepish, "under a lot of scrutiny after that whole attempted data theft thing."

"In a nutshell, if I know what it… what she does, then I can get an idea of what they want to do with her." Palm up, he motioned to Ryo. "So what can you tell me about… uh, An, was it?"

Ryo glanced at Miku, who gave a short nod. "You know about Tsukasa? How Morganna trapped her in the world, made her believe that she was Tsukasa?"

"More or less," said Dean.

"There's not as much to it as you might suspect, offline, at least. Her father is under arrest; when she woke from her coma, I was able to obtain legal custody of her."

"Why was he arrested?"

Ryo frowned. "He tried to take her off life support. Forcibly." Shaking his head, he added, "Several counts of negligence, and assault too." He saw Dean cringe at the charges. "She didn't have any family who could take her in, and… she needed a fath… someone to take care of her."

Dean made a semi-conscious note of Ryo's Freudian half-slip. "That was nice of you," he said, as honestly as he could muster, though he was worried he sounded less than convincing.

"It's the least she deserves," said Ryo. "Especially after all she's been through."

"I can only imagine," Dean replied. "May I speak with her? Does she speak English?"

"Yes, she speaks English. She's upstairs in her room; go ahead. Second door on your left."

Politely excusing himself, Dean pushed out from the table, stood up and left the kitchen; he passed under a small archway and climbed the set of steps to the upper floor of the house. He strode down the dimly lit hallway, and stopped before the door Ryo had indicated, which was closed.

Doing his best to shed all preconceptions, he raised a hand and knocked gently. "An?" he called. "It's Dean. May I come in?"

"Yes, please."

The door creaked gently as it opened, and Dean stepped into the well-lit bedroom. The walls were painted a sky blue, with navy sheets on the bed and matching pillowcases. A few posters were taped to the walls, one he recognized as a pop singer, another apparently a promo from an anime-style role playing game, title written in kanji he couldn't read. A desk sat in the far corner, next to the window and opposite the bed; on the desk was the classic computer setup; monitor, speakers, printer and keyboard, with the desktop on the floor and a library of software neatly stacked on the top shelf.

Sitting in an office chair, clad in blue jeans and a purple long-sleeve shirt, the player of Tsukasa looked up at him expectantly; her hair, short and dark brown, was just long enough to touch the back of her neck, with a few strands hanging down over her eyes. Her thin face was full of color and life, but there was something to her eyes he couldn't place, so he focused his attention elsewhere. The girl's figure was slim, but far from athletic, or at least obviously so. Her posture was straight and stiff; she was clearly uncomfortable, and her hands, folded in her lap, were wringing each other. She appeared to be waiting for him to speak first.

He obliged, closing the door behind him. "Nice to finally meet you," he said, studying her reaction in advance. "Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about this." He stepped into the room, maintaining a comfortable distance between him and her. "I understand this might not be something you like to talk about, and I want you to know I appreciate your time."

An nodded, somewhat curtly. (She's quiet,) he thought, his analysis dropping in intensity and replaced with pity. (It's just like Miku and Ryo said.) "What can you tell me about Aura?" he asked.

"What do you want to know?" she asked back, her voice quiet, her words to the point.

"I'm trying to find out why someone would try to kidnap her from 'The World.' What she's capable of, or what she could be used for." He walked over to the bed, slightly further away from the desk, and sat down. "How much do you know about her?"

"I… watched over her while she slept," said An, slowly relaxing. "I didn't know then that we were connected… I didn't know what to think. She kept whispering to me… talking to me, telling me that she would…"

"She?" Dean interrupted. "You mean Morganna?"

She nodded. "Yes. As long as I remained on her… on her 'side', Aura and I would be safe. When I started to disobey her…" she shivered. "That's when she punished us."

"Punished you?"

An gulped, looking away from Dean. "It… it felt like she… like something was gnawing away at me … I was helpless. It's been over a year, and I still remember how it felt. Exactly how it felt." She looked back at him, and saw his questioning stare. "She 'killed' me… uh, Tsukasa, the character. That's all that happened, but to me… to me it felt real."

Dean felt his throat tighten. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

If she took solace from his words, she didn't show it. "That's really when it started to happen, when she began to corrupt Aura. For a while I thought she was doing it because of me… I didn't know that's what she wanted to do all along."

"What could she have done if she succeeded?" Dean asked. "What was she trying to corrupt Aura for?"

"I don't really know," said An. "Morganna was powerful within 'The World', but her power was not absolute. Ryo told me a while ago that she wanted to expand beyond her limitations. I think that's what she needed Aura for."

Dean tilted his head towards An. "But how? What is Aura?"

"Something that she wasn't," said An. "Aura was alive."

"Alive?"

An curled her lips back, and opened them once to answer, but stopped. After a few seconds, she tried again. "The only way I can understand it is that… she was potential. She could change, while Morganna could not. That's why she needed Aura, who wasn't… I…" she frowned, "I don't know how to say…"

"It's all right, I think I understand," said Dean. His voice was unusually quiet, his eyes locked hard on hers; that indistinct quality revealed itself to him once more, and this time he knew what it was.

(She, too, is trapped by 'The World.') He lightly chewed on his tongue. (Even if she's no longer trapped in it.)

"I'm sorry I can't say more," she said with genuine regret. "But she is alive. She's not just a program… or if she is, she's unlike any I've ever seen."

"She's potential," said Dean, thinking aloud. "And what would they want with potential… what wouldn't they want with potential." Focusing on her again, he said, "You've been very helpful, An. Thank you."

He stood up, and headed for the door. Before he could get there, he heard the sound of wheels rolling on the hardwood floor, followed by a squeaking from the chair as An also rose to her feet. "Wait," she said in that same gentle, yet unemotional tone.

Dean turned back to her. "Hmm?"

"You said… they're trying to steal her?"

He nodded gravely. "I don't know why, yet, but with what you've told me, I've got an idea. It's something I didn't even think about. I believe you, An. I saw her too. She is alive."

"You saw her?" she asked. "When? Did she say anything?"

He shook his head. "She didn't say anything to me; it was just after… a friend of mine stopped the attempt to copy her. I was… I was trapped, too, in a way, and she helped to wake me up."

She tilted her head, curiosity overwhelming anxiety. "Was she okay?"

In his mind, he recalled the image of the ghostly white girl; the look of pain in her eyes, the small, decaying piece of code and data where a part of her robe should have been. His face grew dark without him even realizing, and she let out a small gasp.

When he met An's eyes, all he saw was pleading. "You'll stop them?" she asked.

"I'm trying," he said honestly. "I'm trying."

* * *

From: Kite 

To: Stolls

Subj: Advice

Hi, Dean. Yasu and I have been going over my computer; we had to do a format, but we got rid of the bugs in the system. It should be safe to mail each other now. I was hoping to chat with you tonight, there's a few things I wanted to ask you. If you're not too busy, could you meet me in Delta root town?

Hiro

* * *

He brushed his still-damp hands across his jeans, finishing the job started by the bathroom towel. Flicking the light switch, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed for the stairs. 

"…that the truth. I didn't have to wait for him to tell me about it."

Dean stopped at the sounds of laughter, male and female.

Miku's voice reached his ears with remarkable ease. "I just didn't think you'd notice. Or maybe I thought it wasn't that obvious."

Ryo chuckled. "It wasn't, really. I just asked a lot of questions."

Silently, Dean tiptoed down the stairs; far from deft and agile, he was yet blessed with a naturally quiet step, and knew enough about sneaking not to make noise on wooden steps. He flattened his back against the railing, almost sliding down the stairway as he approached the archway leading to the kitchen.

"It is still awkward," said Miku. "I haven't spoken with him since."

"Well, he doesn't play as much either," said Ryo. "We all sort of drifted apart, didn't we?"

"Maybe."

Dean felt something odd in the pit of his stomach, odd and unwelcome. He reached the bottom step and snuck over to the arch, not daring to poke his head around just yet.

"Maybe?"

"Mm-hmm."

Another chuckle, this one deeper. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Dean was tempted to guess. "So it's not that obvious," was Miku's non-answer.

"Come on," urged Ryo. "Things haven't changed that much since then, have they?"

"Some things," said Miku softly. "But… not all of them."

"Not all of them," Ryo echoed. "Anything in particular?"

A pause. "Yes," she answered carefully.

Dean swore he could hear the smile in her voice, and could almost imagine it. The feeling in his stomach grew, and grew more unpleasant. He couldn't gauge what, exactly, they were talking about; it was the way they spoke that fed the unusual sensation.

Swallowing, he straightened himself out and stepped through the archway, facing Miku and Ryo, who sat opposite each other at the table, both holding cups of what appeared to be coffee. They looked up at him as he entered, and Ryo greeted him. "Hey. Did you find anything out?"

He nodded, glancing at Miku, and then back at Ryo. "I think so. She told me a few things about Aura that change the motive a little. I need to mull a few things over for a while, though."

"So you're headed out?" asked Ryo.

Dean nodded. "Yeah," he looked at Miku, "if you're ready that is."

"Mmm," mumbled Miku amidst taking a sip of the dark liquid. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay a little longer. It's…" she eyed Ryo, "been a while."

"It's all right, I'll drive her home," said Ryo, setting his cup down. "Is there anything else you need? Anything I can do for you?"

Putting aside the ever-increasing unease in his gut, Dean smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, I think I'm good, thanks. I'll see you guys later. Call me if you think of anything else that might help."

"Sure thing. Good night, Dean."

* * *

The door slammed behind him as he kicked it shut; one hand flipped the light switch, the other turned the lock and latched the chain, old habits dying hard. The comfortable warmth of the apartment surrounded and caressed him, freeing him from the modest chill of the outside air. He kicked his shoes off and stepped further into his dwelling, tossing his leather jacket over a nearby chair. 

The drive home was longer and darker than he remembered, though he chalked that up to him not meeting with Ryo in months; harder to deny was the silence of the ride, deafening despite the radio and the purr of the engine. That silence stayed with him as he entered the building, stepped onto the elevator, walked into his apartment.

He collapsed on the couch, a green-and-yellow old thing which had come with the apartment, nonetheless sturdy and clean as the day it was made. It, too, comforted him, welcomed him home, but it did little to end the silence.

Dean sighed. He should have had dozens of questions, theories about what An had told him, but he couldn't get his mind off the last things he'd heard at Ryo's house, the conversation between him and Miku, and the more he dwelled on it, the louder the silence in his mind became.

He turned on the TV; more of the same. It wouldn't go away. Though he couldn't think, he knew what the problem was – he had since he started driving home.

He was jealous.

End of Chapter 27


	28. Dreaded Word

.Hack: Penance   
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine – right after the end, before the clear game segments. (Thoughts look like so.) Y'know, one of the hardest parts about writing fanfiction – writing good fanfiction, at least – is getting the source material right; particularly with the games, it's not always easy, or even possible, to just check out a given scene, or instantly reacquaint yourself with the characters, or whatever. It's a whole different beast from regular fiction; not more difficult, just different.

What I'm getting at here is I just wanted to once again thank all you who've been providing feedback thus far. There's not enough space here for you all, but you've been giving me vital corrections and advice, and for that I'm indebted to you. You know you are, you magnificent bastards, you :)

This chapter done to the tune of: lostprophets – Last Train Home

Chapter 28 – Dreaded Word

* * *

News: Conference Keynote Speaker Changed 

Just days before the final night of the Global Cyber-Terrorism Conference, Cyber Connect's President, Yusuke Hakamura, announced that he would not be able to deliver the keynote speech on Saturday, citing personal matters that would necessitate his absence from the event. Vice President Kyoya Takahashi will instead deliver the speech, which will cover the growing role of private industry in network security, both locally and globally.

Complicating the matter is Takahashi's involvement with the online game 'The World', specifically losses of key staff many times during its development phase; anonymous police sources indicate that Takahashi is thought to have known about the coma victims, who were found unconscious while playing the game. Of further concern is that Aldous Rosenberg, Asara Corporation's CEO, who had hotly contested Hakamura's position as keynote speaker several weeks prior, will renew objections to Cyber Connect's dominance during the conference.

Neither Takahashi's nor Rosenberg's offices could be reached for comment.

* * *

He stepped casually up the main broadway of the Aqua Capital, approaching the bridge that spanned the canal between the two halves of the city. Overhead, the sun had begun to set, casting a golden hue over the buildings and causing the water to sparkle. 

The body seemed almost alien to him – short, thin, and young, silver-haired and green-eyed, clad in black robes, leather gloves and boots, and carrying a blue staff. He shivered, recalling that, not long ago, he had been playing a character far closer to his true self, and against his will.

Dean shook off his anxiety, adjusting his hold on the controller and guiding Stolls toward the bridge. Just as he suspected, an all-too-familiar Twin Blade stood at its center, leaning forward on the railing, his red cap and clothing setting him apart from the crowd without looking out of place.

"Kite!" he called, waving his hand as he drew near. "Hey, man!"

The teal-haired boy turned towards the Wavemaster, and smiled, dispelling Dean's fears about the gravity of his question. "Hi, Stolls!"

Stolls joined Kite on the bridge, and rested his wand over his shoulder like a rifle. "How you doin', man? What's happening?"

"Oh, I'm all right, thanks," he answered, "and thanks for coming. I needed some advice."

Nodding, Stolls replied, "Yeah, your email said you needed to ask me something. What's up?"

"I've been thinking about what you said today," Kite began, but stopped when Stolls held up a hand.

"Wait, hold up," he interrupted. "Before we go any further, is this in relation to our current problems with bad men here to do bad things, or is it about something else entirely?"

"Something else."

Stolls let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, good. For a moment I was worried I'd be working overtime tonight." When Kite gave him a strange look, he added, "I'll tell you about it after we square away your stuff. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Well... it's about BlackRose."

His lips curled into a smile. Stowing his wand in the recesses of his off-screen inventory, he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm listening."

Kite scratched the back of his neck, shifting his weight to one foot and sliding the other behind it. "You know how Valentine's Day works here, right?"

Stolls nodded. "Kinda-sorta. Girl gives the guy chocolates, guy gives the girl a present a week later or something, right?"

"Actually it's a month later," said Kite, "but yeah."

"All right. So I gather that your dilemma involves this young lady, this holiday and – stop me if I'm wrong – the fact that you two have a date on that same day."

"Yeah, that's right." Kite took a deep breath, and looked away somewhat bashfully. "The question is, I... I..."

Dean could almost see the hesitation in the Twin Blade's puppeteer. "Why don't we take this someplace private," he said, "it sounds like you've got a lot to say."

Hiro nodded to him. "Yeah... good idea. Let's go."

* * *

"All right, lay it on me, man."

Tucked away in a private room, little more than a table and chairs in a normally inaccessible building, Stolls and Kite sat opposite each other, the former watching the latter as he started to speak. The light was just dim enough for Stolls not to notice the flush of color in the Twin Blade's cheeks, though his quiet voice and timid posture told much of the story just the same.

"I think I..." he began, but quickly stopped and hung his head, changing his words. "I really like her, you know? She's been a really good friend... I-I don't know, maybe more than a friend, and more than a partner, but," he looked up, "we've never met each other. We've never even seen each other."

Stolls nodded studiously, but said nothing.

"I feel like we know each other so well," said Kite, "but... I don't even know who she is. Her name... what she looks like, what she's like when she's not in 'The World'. Well, I've seen her... I mean, what kind of person she is." He sighed. "She hides a lot of it. She's more fragile than she acts... but even stronger than she thinks."

Dean couldn't help but smile offline, taking care not to let his character mimic the action. "She's a nice girl," said the detective.

"She is," said Kite. "But still... every time I think about it, I wonder how we're going to act when we see each other for the first time." He clasped his hands together, resting them on the table. "What we'll do, or say... if we'll have anything at all in common besides 'The World'."

"So, you're worried about meeting her for the first time?" asked Stolls.

"That too," Kite replied. "And... I guess I'm just nervous, because I don't know how to say it. I'm not even sure I understand it. I got to know her through an online game... one that nearly..." his voice quivered, "nearly killed us."

Stolls felt a tinge of pity for the boy. "I think I understand," he said. "And I think we've had this talk before, haven't we? Or at least one like it?"

"Maybe," said Kite, half-smiling. "Heh... I can't believe we've come this far, when you think about how we met."

Stolls bared his teeth in a broad grin, chuckling warmly. "That was one hell of a night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Kite replied, laughing with him. He let out another sigh. "But, uh... I guess what the problem is, is that I-I really care about her, and I really... like her." There was a subtle, strategic pause in the last three words, one which did not go unnoticed.

Dean leaned forward, arms folded on the table. "'Like'... isn't the word you wanted to use, is it Hiro?"

Kite shuffled his feet under his chair, and glanced down sheepishly. "Well..."

The way he trailed the 'l' sold it. (Bingo,) thought Dean. "I think I hear you, man," he said. "You're thinkin' it, I'm thinkin' it, but neither of us knows if that's it."

Sitting up straight, Kite revealed his blushing face. "Y-yeah... I guess I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel about someone I've never met."

"Well, it's not like there's a sign or something," said Stolls. "It's different for everybody. It's not supposed to feel any particular way. You just... you just see someone, and you know it, you can feel it."

"Did you know?"

He leaned back in his chair, online and offline. "Not any more than you, my friend. And I met the girl in real life." His face fell as long-hidden memories were recalled, a face and a name he'd just as soon forget, one who he knew had since forgotten him.

There was brief moment of silence, just a few seconds long. "What happened?" Kite asked in that soft tone of his.

"We just went in different directions," said Stolls. "She moved out to the east coast... and I went to jail."

Kite blinked. "You mean..."

Stolls cut him off again. "Short version is, she left me because I got busted. Didn't want to be with a convict, and I can't fault her that; I wouldn't have waited for me, either." He scoffed. "I'm lucky my folks didn't shut me out..."

"Dean..."

"Oh, sure, they proved I was guilty, hell, I confessed..." he frowned, "but they wouldn't do anything except love me as their son. They'll always think of me as their little boy, that's what they said. Claire, though..." he trailed off, remembering where he was. "Ah, I'm sorry, Hiro man, I'm rambling. You've got problems of your own..."

Kite hurriedly waved a hand back and forth. "No, no... it's all right, really. Are you okay?"

Dean groaned. "Ah, it's just been a long night. It's like every one of my problems just came back to haunt me at once. My old boss is gunning for me, a woman I like thinks I'll only bring trouble... well, okay, I guess those are the only two that are the same, but it's still been a long night."

Another short pause. "I see," Kite murmured. "Who... who is she?"

"Remember that BT woman I told you about? Well... I guess I can't put it to words either. She just... there's something about her, something that genuinely intrigues me." He grunted in frustration. "I don't... act normally when she's around. I'm conscious of how I talk, how I look, what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling... and just tonight, I got jealous." He closed his eyes. "Jealous, for god's sake! I've only known her for a couple months, we haven't even gotten to know each other that well, and to hear her chat with an old friend makes me jealous."

Hiroshi watched as Dean opened his eyes and stared back at him. "Hiro, I want you to do something for me, all right? You get the chance, you tell BlackRose what you told me. You don't have to say it exactly, just say what's on your mind." His smile was forced, but gradually became legitimate. "I guarantee you she's on the same page."

"I... I will, Dean." Hiro smiled back. "Thank you. But what about you?"

"That... depends on too many things to say right now," Dean said slowly, "but we'll see." Seeing the look of concern in Hiro's eyes, he continued, "Don't worry about me, Hiro man, things'll work out somehow. They always do..." he caught himself, "well, okay, not always, but often enough."

"If you say so," said Hiro, with tangible uncertainty.

"I'll manage," Dean reassured him. "Sorry for kinda rambling there. I know we came here to talk about you, but it did take a load off to tell somebody. You're all right, Hiro, man." Jokingly, he added, "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

They shared another chuckle. "Really, though, thanks for listening. You're a good guy, Hiro. I see why she likes you."

Another smile, this one paired with a blush, though he made no effort to hide it. "Thank you, too."

"Don't mention it. And don't sweat the convention, I'll be there too."

"Really? What for?"

"Just for fun." Kite tilted his head at Stolls, prompting him to try again. "Well, that and bigwigs from Asara and Cyber Connect are gonna be there, two in particular that Felix's guys have been seen with. Call it a hunch."

"What do you think will happen?"

Stolls shrugged. "Probably nothing in public, that's not his style. He's good at sleight of hand, if I know him he's using the convention as cover to do what he wants with Aura. Whatever it is, it involves both companies."

"So what do we do in the meantime?"

He rubbed his chin. "Hmm... I think there's a couple things to do, three to be exact. One, I want to drop by Tokuoka's again and see if he'll say anything else about Aura. Two, we need a way to track Felix's hackers and find out where they're working."

"And the third one?" Kite asked.

Stolls smiled. "Find out what BlackRose likes, and get you to get it for her," he said with a wink. "Just in case."

- End of Chapter 28


	29. Who Played Who

.Hack: Penance

A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) More Liminality characters; away from my discs at the moment, so I'm going off a quick GISing for appearances and data. As always, corrections are appreciated. Blame any and all incoherency on jet lag :)

And with that out of the way, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This chapter done to the tune of: Foo Fighters – All My Life

Chapter 29 – Who Played Who

* * *

"So why didn't you call emergency services?" 

Dean grunted as he stuffed the compacted tripod into the duffel bag, loud clinking and rattling noises as it jarred the rest of his equipment. "Because," he said to the phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear, "I think that's what he wanted me to do. They're been one step ahead this whole time, and I think I found a way to even the odds."

Masamoto's voice crackled briefly through the line. "What are you talking about?"

"It's a hunch," said Dean, "but I might have a lead to another of their hideouts. I'm going to pay Tokuoka another visit, see if he's thought of anything else to say."

"Why would he have anything else to say?"

Dean was more careful with the digital camera, placing it gently beside the tripod. "He was more than just a number cruncher. I think he wanted me to find out about Aura from someone else; why, I don't know, but I have a feeling he'll tell me a little more."

"And if he doesn't?"

"I'll kick his ass 'till he does," he said flatly, immediately, as if a reflex. He then bent down and picked up a black tape recorder; stopping only to check the tape, he tossed it into the bag with the rest of his gear.

Masamoto chuckled. "You know, it worries me when you say things like that."

Dean smiled. "Kidding, I'm kidding. I know the rules. I'm one of the good guys now, remember? If anything, I'm the last he's gotta worry about."

"Actually, I was going to suggest wearing gloves. It'd be a good idea not to leave fingerprints if you're going to get rough."

The detective laughed for a moment, and then froze in place. "You… you're serious?" he asked, unable to detect the humor in the lieutenant's voice.

Masamoto was more than happy to spell it out for him. "No, I'm kidding. Be discreet, I haven't finished the paperwork yet."

Dean blinked, puzzled. "Paperwork?" he asked, as he absently bent down to pick up his empty Glock from the nearby dresser.

"You'll see later. Call me back when you have something. In the meantime, I'll look into this Range Rover for you, but no promises. It's a big city."

"I know, Mas. Thanks anyway, and I'll call you if I find out anything. Later."

* * *

The Civic rumbled merrily as it careened down the freeway, weaving casually between other cars, trucks, and everything in between. Concrete and steel sped by through the windows, reflecting the sun with pinpoint accuracy into Dean's eyes, which might have affected him if not for the sunglasses. 

A larger problem was his all-dark attire, black longsleeve button-down shirt covering a navy blue t-shirt, both tucked into a pair of matching slacks. Only his leather jacket served as a contrast, brown against the black. Though inconspicuous in low light, the dark material was doing wonders to absorb and trap heat against his body, causing a light sweat despite the 40-degree temperatures outside the car. The sweat was aided by the psychological stigma of carrying a pistol, even though it lay securely in the duffel bag on the passenger seat.

He caught sight of a speed limit sign, and coolly eased off the accelerator to match. The last thing he needed was some inquisitive cop pulling him over and getting curious about his bulky cargo.

(Junichiro held out on me,) thought Dean, (I just know it. If he can give me a clue where else these guys might be hiding…) he threw a look at the bag again. (Just a few shots should do the trick.)

A faint warbling drew his attention towards the glove box, the nesting place of his cell phone. Careful to keep the wheel steady with one hand, he popped the hatch with the other and pulled the device out, hitting the receive button with his thumb. "Yeah, Dean here."

"Dean Stollis?" a female voice asked.

Mildly annoyed, he replied, "No, Dean Martin. Yeah, it's me. Who's this?"

"This is Helba."

Dean jerked his head back, but kept control. "And what can I do for you, Miss Helba?"

"That's an interesting question," she said in an increasingly memorable low, lilting voice. "I was actually hoping to do something for you, detective."

"I'm listening."

"I presume you've spoken with Tsukasa?"

He flipped the turn signal as he started into another lane, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. "Yeah, the girl, right? Tokuoka sent me to her, and I'm on my way back to grill him some more. What about it?"

"And you know what she is, right? Aura, that is?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Look, these minutes aren't cheap. You getting to a point anytime soon?"

Admirably, she did. "They're going to strike again soon. I don't have the details, but someone will meet you at Tokuoka's."

"Someone who?"

"An associate, you might say," said Helba. "I'm sending him precisely because I seek the same answers you do, detective."

Dean snorted. "I find THAT hard to believe. Helba, or whoever you are."

A soft chuckle. "Speak with Tokuoka. My associate will meet you there. You'll have to pardon his manners, he's… shall we say, not a people-person."

"Oh, that's terrible," said Dean sarcastically. "Because this city's been sooooo hospitable to me thus far. I'd hate to have to deal with somebody who isn't courteous or polite."

"Don't be difficult," she chided, almost playfully. "It's unprofessional. Be glad you're not Junichiro."

"Yeah, yeah… don't sweat it, I'll meet your guy. But I'm gonna want some answers to this sooner or later. Emphasis on sooner."

The line clicked dead, but not before he heard her mutter "You're not the only one," under her breath.

* * *

Knock knock knock. "It's open!" 

Dean tested the knob; the door swung open easily to his touch, and he stepped into the apartment, making sure to remove his shoes before advancing another step. He spotted Tokuoka on the couch facing the TV, and before he could greet the ex-Cyber Connect employee he caught a glimpse of a second man, to his right in the kitchen.

"How you doin', Ichi?" said Dean out the corner of his mouth as he faced the other man – a wiry-looking fellow, perhaps in his late 20's or early 30's, hair short but thick, and wearing glasses. He wore a plain white overshirt, with a collared green shirt beneath it, tan slacks and worn running shoes; not much to distinguish him, save for the amused look on his face. "Who's your friend?" the detective asked as he closed the door behind him.

Junichiro stood up and joined Dean along with the third man. "Sato, Dean Stollis. Dean…"

Dean's eyes shot wide open. "Sato? Wait, wait, wait." He pointed a finger accusingly at the bespectacled stranger. "Are you the guy who was outside the restaurant?"

The look of amusement passed, giving way to confusion. Sato glanced at Junichiro. "What's he talking about?"

Eyeing him up and down, Dean mentally slapped himself; the frame was off, the age was visibly different, and the lack of a weapon was an even more obvious clue. "Damn, nevermind. Some nutjob with a sword and that same name accosted me and… a friend of mine outside a burger joint. He was with Felix."

Sato nodded, smirking. "Ahhh, the Mr. Croker I've been hearing about. That's actually the reason I'm here."

Dean arched an eyebrow. "Hold that thought." He turned to Junichiro. "I spoke to Tsukasa… er, An. She said that…"

Tokuoka interrupted him. "Maybe you should listen to what Sato, or should I say Bith, has to say, it'll save time."

Dean looked at 'Sato' strangely. "Bith?"

"It's a long story," said Sato, nodding to Junichiro. "And either is fine for now. As you've no doubt surmised, I am the one Helba sent you to meet."

"I was on my way here anyway," Dean said dryly.

Sato looked annoyed for a moment. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

Grumbling, the detective looked to say something, but instead folded his arms over his chest merely stared back at Sato.

"Thank you," he said with faux sincerity. "Following the aftermath of Morganna's defeat in the world – I trust you know what I refer to – we began trying to track Aura, as she seemed to… vanish." He gave a sideways grin, half-heartedly, at Tokuoka. "It seems our little espionage, though useful at the time, has created a whole new set of problems."

Sensing Dean's prodding stare, he continued. "In any case, this… attack on Aura is the first we've seen of her since. And suffice it to say, that they used Helba's own hacking protocols to try and extract Aura has been, well…" his eyebrows twitched, a hint of anxiety, "frustrating. We've been trying to help you and the others in finding out what these men want, but I'm afraid that what we have in technology, we lack in human intelligence."

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it," said Dean. "What they want."

"I sent you to An because you had to speak with someone who has seen her firsthand," said Tokuoka, drawing Dean's attention away from Bith. "It's difficult to describe in technical terms. Practically, however… she is the most advanced, lifelike AI ever produced by man. I doubted you'd believe me even if I told you straight out."

"I might have, but I guess that doesn't matter now," Dean replied. "Anyway, I do know that she's a key component of 'The World', and that Felix and company have been meeting with heads from both companies. Either he's playing both sides and stealing the middle, or… or I don't know, maybe they're even working together, pooling their efforts to get Aura, and use her."

Sato nodded. "My guess as well. Like my colleague said, she is the next generation of artificial intelligence. A step beyond the boundaries of programming. If it were possible to… encode a soul, I would say that Harald did exactly that with Aura."

"A soul?" asked Dean, hinting at disbelief.

Shaking his head gently, Sato answered, "Nothing so esoteric. It is analogy; as Junichiro said, she is merely a highly advanced artificial intelligence. In her, Harald created potential. She was indeed meant for a specific purpose – to fix, and replace, Morganna, among other things – but she was not designed exclusively for that purpose."

Dean cocked his head at the younger of the two men, making a mental note of the word 'potential'. "Wait… run that by me again?"

"Compare her to Morganna. She, too, was advanced, but she was still bound by the traditional rules of a program. She had specific goals, and employed firmly-defined methods to achieve those goals – the phases." He stopped to catch his breath. "Morganna was programmed with the Epitaph in mind. Aura has no such restrictions."

"She knew this," said Dean, filling in the gaps in his knowledge. "And that's why she needed to corrupt Aura."

"Self-preservation," said Sato, looking away for a moment. "If Aura woke up as intended, Morganna would be robbed of her drive, her sentience, and all else which was granted to her by the Echelon protocols crafted by one Seijiro Tanaka."

"Yeah," Dean murmured, a bell ringing somewhere in the back of his mind. "I remember him."

Sato stepped away from the group, towards the couch. Slowly, he sat down, letting out a quiet sigh in the process. "This, of course, is history, context; I tell you this in hopes that you can do something with it."

Dean and Junichiro joined Sato, the detective taking a seat on a nearby chair. "What do you mean?"

Sato looked at him curiously from behind his glasses. "You're the detective, aren't you? Can't you figure out what two of the most prominent software companies in the world would do with the ability to copy Aura? To create potential?"

"Ugh," Dean grunted. "Look, I've been over this. It's not helping." He leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees. "You want to help me? You tell me how to find Felix, and where they're hiding. Motive doesn't mean a whole lot if we can't even get close." After a beat, he added, "Or even better, you could cut the bullshit and tell me where you and Helba fit into all this, 'cause I'm just dying to know that."

Sato and Tokuoka exchanged looks, and then the former looked back at Dean, that same amused expression on his face, one that made Dean want to punch him hard in the face. "That's another long story."

"Sure, whatever," said Dean with a frown. "So, great. I came out here to know more stuff that, while interesting, doesn't really help me. Meanwhile, Helba says they're going to try again, and somehow I don't think they're gonna leave clues just lying around like last time. Wonderful."

Both men fell into an uneasy silence, which was quickly, and abruptly, broken by Tokuoka. "Wait, Helba said they would try again?"

"Yeah," Dean replied. "She said she didn't have the details." He glanced at Sato. "She seemed to imply you would, or at least you could point me in the right direction."

"She instructed me to tell you what I know about Aura," the associate answered. "She passed no information to me about another attack."

A full minute passed before anyone spoke again. "Hang on," Dean muttered, snapping his fingers, gently at first and then louder. "Hang on a minute. You said Aura was meant to replace Morganna?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Sato. "She certainly has similar capabilities."

"Would that include memory?"

Sato blinked. "Obviously, yes."

"Memory of, say… an IP address? One that was being used to hijack one character and download something from 'The World'?"

Sato stiffened. "Maybe… we never did try to find her after the attack…"

"She would have to remember something about it," Tokuoka chimed in. "Even if we couldn't pinpoint exactly…"

"No, wait," Sato interjected. "It's too easy to fake an IP address. The best we could do… assuming we could even find her, the best we could do is narrow it down to a single prefecture, maybe a few square blocks or so."

"It'd be something," Dean finished. "And it'd give the police a smaller area to look for a vehicle… say, a silver Range Rover, one that's been dogging me for a while now. Is it possible?"

A short pause, a rubbing of the chin. A hesitant nod that told Dean all he needed to know. "It's possible." Thinking again, he asked, "but what good would that do?"

Dean held up an index finger, rifling through his jacket pocket with the other hand. "You leave that to me." Facing Tokuoka, he asked, "Can I use your computer?"

* * *

From: Stolls 

To: Kite

Subj: The Plan

Hey man. Chat function's down, but I can see you're online. You got a minute? I need your help. We need to find Aura. Meet me back at Mac Anu's gate; contact Lios, and anyone else you think can help. I'll tell you what I have in mind as soon as we're all assembled.

- End of Chapter 29


	30. Potential

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this). Edited for great justice. Some of the dialogue seemed redundant, other parts were a bit off.

This chapter done to the tune of: Fluke – Atom Bomb

Chapter 30 – Potential

* * *

"Here's what's going down." 

Standing off to the side of the spinning Chaos Gate, Stolls addressed the small crowd of adventurers Kite had assembled, whom he recognized – BlackRose, Ryoko, Balmung, Orca and Sanjuro. The corpulent avatar of Lios was present as well, bearing his usual dispassionate stare, although he seemed more sour than usual in the presence of the Wavemaster. Most of them either looked at him pensively or casually, clearly unsure of the purpose of this summons.

"As you know, we're dealing with over a dozen men who are involved, somehow, with both Asara Corporation and Cyber Connect." He gestured towards the group, palm up. "Criminals, convicts… the exact relationship is unknown, but it's not hard to imagine what any of them would want with Aura. Now, she's basically an AI without any predisposition or initial programming, as far as we know. Like any one of us, she can adapt to an environment or a task, and be 'trained' to accomplish it. In other words, she's an artificial intelligence that, practically, has no restrictions on how she can develop."

"This, of course, we all know. Anyway, I was contacted recently by Helba, who claimed they're going to try and take her again." Stolls paused to catch his breath. "I don't think they're going to let us find them like last time, so we have to find her first."

"How do we do that?" asked BlackRose.

"That's a good question," he replied. "We're going to have to improvise. Lios," he glanced at the administrator, somewhat coldly, "I don't suppose you could tell us about anything unusual that's happened in the game lately? System anomalies, abnormal data volume, anything like that?"

Lios shook his head. "Nothing I could be sure about," he replied, stiffly. "There were a couple glitches on Theta server, one of which was in that field you fought in – Greedy Law's Messenger – but nothing I could pin down."

The voice caused prickles of unease along Dean's skin; the mere fact that Kite had invited him rubbed Dean the wrong way, and it appeared that he had a similar effect on the administrator, though he couldn't deny that they would likely need someone on the inside.

"That sounds like as good a place as any to start," said Balmung. "We should…"

A shout from up the broadway broke up the meeting, and all turned to watch what must have been a Long Arm pick and squirm his way through the foot traffic up to the gate, evidenced by the spear which poked out above the other, taller characters. Sure enough, a blonde-haired pikeman emerged from the crowd, dressed in blue pants and vest, eyes olive and skin tanned.

"Sorry, sorry," panted the Long Arm, looking mildly sheepish. "Couldn't get away from the meeting sooner."

Stolls chuckled. "Not a problem, Mr. Kerrek, nice of you to join us."

He was met with a look of mild annoyance. "It's Tamon, man, you know that."

Kite blinked. "Tamon??"

Grinning, TamonAdillo gave a short bow. "Well met, Hiro. Now, let's get down to business."

"Right," said Stolls, continuing. "Like Balmung says, Theta: Greedy Law's Messenger is a good place to start looking. The idea is if we can get to Aura before they can, she may be able to tell us what she remembers from their hacking attempt." He swallowed. "I just spoke with a couple others who were in the know, they're thinking she may be able to lead us back to the source of the hack – that is, where they're working from."

"You're talking about a piggyback," said Lios.

"Doesn't that require an active connection, though?" asked Balmung.

Stolls nodded. "That it does. We may not get an exact location, but with what I've learned about Aura, she should at least be able to recall the event and give us an idea of where to start searching."

BlackRose and Kite exchanged looks. "That's… not much of a plan," she remarked flatly.

The Wavemaster raised his hands defensively. "I know, I know. Look, our main goal is to find Aura before they do. Everything else is secondary. But if she does remember anything about the attack, well, more the better. We'll go from there." He scanned the party. "I'm skeptical too, but right now we don't have a whole lot to go on. You don't want in, you don't have to be in. All I'm speaking for is Max and myself, but I know we're gonna need the help."

"Are you kidding?" asked BlackRose. "We went through all that work to find you, we're not just going to quit in the middle of solving the mystery, right?"

"They're after Aura," said Kite, a look of determination on his face. "I'll do what I can."

There were other murmurs of assent from the group. Even Lios, who kept his odd stare trained on Stolls the whole time, nodded in agreement.

"Good," said Stolls. "Any questions?"

"How should we go about searching for her?" asked Ryoko.

"We'll have to split up into groups. There's eight of us, so we'll pair off and check the field. Be careful, though; this was one of the fields they hacked to, uh…" he fidgeted, fumbling briefly with the words, "copy… put in the copies of me. There may have… hell, you were all there, you should know. It's bound to be hacked characters, like last time. And you," he nodded to Lios, "should probably keep out of the field. If they hijacked Helba, they may be able to do it to you, too."

"Now, wait…" Lios began, his protest dying as soon as it left his throat. "Rrgh… you… you're right, I suppose. I will be monitoring your progress from outside the field, however. If anything goes wrong, report back to me immediately." His eyes narrowed. "And I want to speak with you after this is over, even if you don't find anything here."

Stolls kept his calm to Lios' face, but turned around and grit his teeth. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, adding mentally (I'm sure I'll have a few words for you, too.)

Kite looked back and forth between the two men. "Wh… what's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Stolls "Nothing at all."

Lios frowned, but turned back to Kite. "Forget it. Proceed to the field. As I said, I'll monitor you from outside."

"All right," said BlackRose, happy to direct the discussion away from Stolls and Lios. "So, what are we waiting for, then? Let's get going!"

One by one they turned towards the gate, preparing to jump to Theta server, eventually leaving both men alone.

"Another paperwork nightmare," grunted Lios. "You really think you can find her?"

"I don't know." He watched the gate for a few seconds, then faced the administrator. "You know, I still owe you for Shinji."

Lios blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Shinji? What are you talking about?"

Before Stolls could explain, a familiar female voice called to him. "Going somewhere, detective?"

He froze for a second, then turned around, facing another Wavemaster; a blonde woman in elaborate dark-and-light green robes, a curious, knowing smile on her lips.

"Didn't know you were online," said Dean, trying not to sound surprised. Lios gated out, but Dean could have cared less.

"I was invisible," BT replied, uncharacteristically straightforward. "What are you doing?"

(Yeah, that figures.) Stolls glanced back at Kite, and motioned towards the gate towards the gate. "Go on ahead, man, I'll be right with you."

Kite shifted his gaze between the two magicians for a moment before nodding compliantly. "See you there!" he said with a wave as the rest of the party teleported away.

Turning back to BT, who had since closed the gap between them, Stolls said "We're going to look for Aura. Checking back at that field where they attacked us, figure she might be able to help us find them." She was about to ask a follow-up question when he shot one of his own. "How'd you know to find me here?"

"I didn't," she answered evenly. "I saw you sign on, but didn't know where you were."

"You could've just messaged me."

She started to say something, but stopped, her mouth hanging open. She looked away, perhaps in embarrassment. "I suppose I could have."

Stolls blinked, obviously confused. (What's with her? She's not usually THIS obscure…) "Is everything all right?"

"I was hoping to ask you the same question," she replied.

"Huh? Um… I… guess?"

Sighing, BT stepped past him, towards the gate. "After talking with An last night, you seemed kind of upset."

His eyes followed her, feet rooted in place. "Well, kind of. Let's just say we've got our work cut out for us," he half-lied. Changing the subject, he added, "Is that all you tracked me down for?"

She smirked. "Well, that and it's been a quiet day so far… I was just wondering what you might be up to. Apparently, quite a bit."

"Heh," grunted the male Wavemaster. "Bored, huh?"

There was a twinkle in one of her eyes, looking an awful lot like amusement. "Curious," she said, her smirk widening.

(You don't say…) "Lovely," he said dryly. "It just so happens I'm in the middle of something, for which I could use all the help I can get." Offline, his fingers danced over the controller, opening a menu and preparing a flash mail. "Whad'ya say, Bacon-Tomato?"

She narrowed one eye at him, raising the brow of the other. "Only if you never call me that again."

"Heh heh. Fair enough." He kicked the invite her way, and was promptly rewarded with acceptance. Her stats appeared on his heads-up display as he turned towards the Chaos Gate. "Yaknow," he said as he sought the desired keywords, "you are one confusing woman, you know that?"

She answered with that all-too-familiar soft chuckle, a noise which singularly encapsulated all he knew about her. "So I'm told," she then said, just before he hit 'yes' and everything went black.

* * *

His eyes were filled with color; white, red, white again, tan and pink, green, blue, red and orange, and so on. The combinations were simple, but contrasted enough to be visible despite the darkness, standing out amidst the rocky, arid plains around them. Bits of rubble and rock formations dotted the horizon, all surrounding the clearing where they stood.

Stolls pointed to the red-capped Twin Blade. "All right, Kite man, you take BR and Tamon, levels one and two." Then to Balmung. "Balmung, you take Ryoko and Orca, you're on levels three, four and five." He made a wide sweeping gesture towards the field behind him. "Sanjay, you and BT are with me, we'll check this place out topside."

"Clear out the whole field," said Balmung, "just to be sure. Portals, chests… everything we can find. If Aura is here, there's no telling what could trigger her appearance."

Stolls nodded. "Got it. We're all in the same party, but local chats won't work between floors, so send a flash mail to anyone in either group when you find something. If you spot any suspicious characters in the field, keep an eye on them, it could be Felix and his men." His eyes wandered between the other eight adventurers. "Eyes and ears, boys and girls. Let's get to it."

"Uh…" Kite mumbled, eyes wide and raising a gloved hand to point behind Stolls. "I think our search is over."

Perplexed, Stolls spun around, and inhaled sharply as he spotted a faint, transparent figure amidst the night sky, a billowing whiteness that coalesced and brightened before his eyes. The figure took a more definite shape; sure enough, within seconds the ghostly Aura had appeared before them, and slowly settled to the ground, staring at the group with solid blue eyes that were eerily empty.

"She was waiting for us," hissed Tamon. "What's going on?"

(What the hell?) Dean said silently. (How'd she know to find us here?) Thinking quickly, the silver-haired Wavemaster took a step forward. "Aura," said Stolls, "it's me… from before, in this field. You woke me up… do you remember?"

To his surprise, she nodded. Even more, she began to speak. "It's you… I do remember. I didn't know if you would be back."

Stolls glanced over at Kite, who could only shrug. "What do you mean? How did you know to wait for us here? Did you know we were coming?"

The girl stared at him; if she could display sadness, he could only imagine that's what she'd be doing. "I… can't leave. They did something to me. I can't leave."

"They trapped her here," BlackRose said. "During the last attack, maybe? But how?"

Briefly looking over at the Heavy Blade, Stolls quickly turned his attention back to Aura. "What did they do to you?"

"It happened… just now," she said, her voice seeming to echo in the empty plains. "You're too late. They were here again."

"Ahh!" Dean grunted in shock. "No… no. Shit! Damn it!" he cursed, spinning away. "I don't believe this, you mean to tell me they got her?!"

There was a chorus of alarm and confusion through the group. "They copied her?" mumbled Sanjuro. "How? Didn't they need a hacker last time?"

(They must've had one already,) thought Dean, letting his head hang and balling his hands into fists. (They wanted to use Helba instead, or maybe they just needed Helba to draw her out… I don't… aw, shit! Aw, goddamnit! Now what the hell do we do?)

"There were so many," said Aura. "I could do nothing…"

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Ryoko. "Can we still, um… can we still find them?"

BT watched Stolls from afar, who was shaking his head listlessly. "Dean…" she whispered his name, taken aback at the look of frustration on his face.

"You could do nothing either."

Stills lifted his head, looking back at Aura. "Wha?"

"You never had a chance, did you?" the girl queried. "You couldn't save yourself then, and you couldn't save me now."

"What…" he murmured, giving his head another vigorous shake, dispelling the beginnings of an offline headache. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Slight chills of unease crawled up his arms when she spoke again, her voice taking on a somehow malevolent quality. "Not even when you sold out your friends."

He was about to turn and ask, when the scuffling of feet and the drawing of a blade preempted a sharp, short sword being rammed through his upper back, bursting out his chest and rendering him virtually paralyzed. Before he could even cry out, half his hit points were gone, the backstab having landed almost perfectly.

The blade was withdrawn, and Stolls crumpled to the ground, groaning weakly. His vision flashed red, indicating that he'd been hit, and critically so. He was barely able to turn on his side and, alongside the rest of his astonished party, stare at his attacker.

Aura was no longer the cryptic, demure-looking girl, having brandished two short blades and assumed a combative stance, a vicious look in her eyes and a cruel smile on her face. The sight would have been more absurd than frightening if she hadn't been standing over the half-corpse of Stolls, who fought off his weakness and scrambled madly away from the berserk AI.

"Aura!" cried Kite. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Paying back an old debt," said the girl, in a voice that most certainly did not belong to a girl. It was now that of an older man; deep, low, smooth and harmonious. "Because after all… I needed money, 'cause I had none."

Almost in unison the team had their weapons out, cautiously approaching the armed girl. "What are you talking about?!" hollered BlackRose. "Why did you attack him?"

She recoiled in horror as Aura turned and smiled coldly at her. "I fought the law," she said, in that same male voice, " and the law won."

Stolls was panting as he climbed to his feet, leveling a hostile, if disbelieving glare at the girl. "Croker," he growled. "What did you do to Aura?!"

"Monroe," said 'Aura', "let's introduce them to our contestants!"

From behind rocks, beneath piles of rubble and around hills, ten heavily-armed characters sprang into action, racing into the small clearing and forming a loose circle around the gathered party, with Aura forming one of the segments of that circle.

Felix's voice came through loud and clear through Aura's mouth, booming across the field in a shouted command, heard by all. "Kill every last one of them!"

- End of Chapter 30


	31. Everybody Watch, Everybody Wave

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters and concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) It seems, again, I must apologize for the delay. Between the holidays and my computer troubles it's a wonder I got anything done at all. Be that as it may, hope this chapter isn't too confusing; battle scenes are never easy to write, at least not for me.

On another note, Happy New Year, everyone! :)

Chapter 31 – Everybody Watch, Everybody Wave

* * *

Stolls was somewhere between sickened and delighted when the staff smashed across Aura's face, throwing her back several paces and drawing a pained grunt from her player's lips. The fight was but thirty seconds old, and this was the third time he had to remind himself the child before him was no child at all. The short swords she was carrying helped to dispel that image, just enough to keep him from feeling guilty about attacking her. 

All around him, the field had exploded into a cacophony of combat, with Stolls' eight companions versus ten other hostiles, none of whom he recognized; he barely had time to even count them before 'Aura' closed in. Kite and BlackRose fought back-to-back against three opponents, the Twin Blade's lighter, mobile fighting style complimenting the slower, more powerful attacks of his partner. TamonAdillo and Sanjuro were struggling to overcome a remarkably deft Wavemaster, while Balmung held two Twin Blades at bay.

Nearby, Orca was dueling with a lone Long Arm, and Ryoko was capably beating back two Axemen, both of whom were considerably larger than she. Though he couldn't keep track of BT, the crack and boom of electricity from his right told him she had her hands full.

His skill points drained, Stolls lunged with his staff, aiming at the purlish-white center of mass; the attack was easily parried, a downward chop with one blade that deflected the staff. Aura countered with a thrust, forcing Stolls to sidestep and adjust his stance.

"I've been waiting for this," growled Felix's voice, incongruous as it came from Aura's mouth. "Ever since San Quentin."

Dean felt his blood boil. "You shank me, and you think YOU have been looking for some payback?!" he hollered, rushing the silver-haired Twin Blade with a wide swing.

"You sold us out!" shouted Felix, raising a sword to block; he was forced to use both when the staff connected, as Stolls shoved against him with surprising strength. "I thought you were a stand-up guy, Stollis, but you were just playing along 'till you got your hands on that money! That's all you ever wanted!"

Stolls backed off from the block, sliding his hands further from the center of the staff. "I didn't have a choice. They found the records you swore were hidden!" he shot back, following up with a series of lightning-quick swings.

Aura ducked the first swing, but the second caught her on the side of the neck, forcing her to stumble. Without missing a beat, Felix kept talking. "Bullshit! You were just itching to stab us in the back! Couldn't wait to get back to Claire with all that dirty money, could you?!"

Stolls was forced on the defensive as Aura launched into a flurry of strikes, some which slipped past his guard and cut into his skin, knocking several hundred hit points away each time, though his eyes were nowhere near the data on his heads-up display. "You FORCED that shit on me!" he hollered. "Your man Scott pulled a gun on me, for Christ's sake!"

He expected Felix to retort, but saw only a malicious grin. Without thinking, he ducked to his left, keeping his head low, and saw a steel blur pass just inches over his hair. Righting himself, he identified the attacker as one of the Axemen Ryoko had been fighting, and gulped loudly as the armored warrior advanced on him. He was only dimly aware that Aura was no longer nearby.

Across the battlefield, Tamon and Sanjuro were having even less luck, kept well out of reach by the Wavemaster's magic as they circled around, searching for an opening. The blonde Long Arm broke into a sprint towards the magician, only to duck out of the way as a stream of fire barreled towards him, narrowly missing. Sanjuro attempted the same, coming at him from a different direction, but met the same result, escaping a fiery demise in the nick of time.

"Damn it," he grunted, gripping his katana with one hand as he backed out of casting range. "I need to get closer…"

"Sanjuro!" hollered Tamon. "Keep him busy, I've got an idea!"

The one-eyed Heavy Blade glanced skeptically at the Long Arm, but guessed his plan when he saw Tamon holding the spear with one hand, looking to throw it. Steeling himself, Sanjuro stormed ahead towards the Wavemaster, and banked right as he countered with the same fire spell as before.

Meanwhile, Orca and Balmung fought against another Long Arm and a pair of Twin Blades, respectively; the former had little trouble landing blows against his lance-wielding opponent, but the latter was almost unable to keep up with the speed of his two targets. Standing perpendicular to where they battled, Ryoko cut a wide swath with her axe, and successfully brought down a Wavemaster with a single mighty strike before locking axes with another of her class, a hulking, armored brute who towered almost comically over her.

"Mnnn," she grunted, drawn thoroughly into the moment; her player madly scrambled with the buttons and joystick, now quite oblivious that it was merely a game. She shifted her stance and applied more pressure to the axe head, which was met in kind by her target.

"You're," grunted the Axeman, "tougher… than you look!" He then broke the hold and reeled back, hollering "For a copy!" as he raised his axe overhead for a downward smash.

Her eyes on the axe, Ryoko didn't have time to ask what he meant as she sidestepped, letting the weapon plow harmlessly into the dirt. She countered with a tight swing, which clipped along his armor, just deep enough to actually harm the man inside, although not for much.

On the other end of the fight, Kite tried desperately to keep a second Long Arm away from BlackRose, who was busy enough with a Heavy Blade and a Blademaster; at least, until the latter of the two shouted to the former, "Keep them busy!" and motioned for the Long Arm to break off and follow him.

Kite tried to follow, but a deft swipe at the back of his legs knocked Kite off his feet. He saw BlackRose scrambling to stand up, having also been knocked down by the attack. The teal-haired Twin Blade angrily faced the remaining Blademaster: a tall, redheaded woman in shining, silver armor and carrying a pitch-black sword.

"You fight like the real Kite," she remarked, amused.

Kite was lucid enough to pick up on this. "Huh?" he muttered. "What are you talk…"

He was interrupted by an earth-shattering "Kiai!" as BlackRose jumped, tumbling head-over-heels in midair and bringing her enormous sword down hard on the Blademaster. She tried to block, but BlackRose effortlessly knocked her weapon aside with the attack, cleaving deep into the woman's head and killing her instantly.

Kite watched, awestruck, as his partner collected herself, stepping away from her fallen adversary. "Wow," he muttered, having never before seen his partner's prowess in player-versus-player combat.

The thorn-tattooed Heavy Blade looked like she might have grinned in different circumstances. Her face was grim as she stared into the melee, watching as Tamon successfully hurled his spear into the chest of a Wavemaster.

Following her gaze, Kite gasped aloud as he saw the Long Arm he had been fighting creep up on Tamon, and before he could cast a spell or do anything to warn him, the blonde spearman met a fate not unlike the Wavemaster he had slain. At the same time, another cry of pain came across the battlefield, sounding distinctly like Balmung's voice.

BlackRose hefted her blade and prepared to charge into battle again, but stopped when one of Kite's hands gripped hers. "Wait," he said, "I have an idea."

She turned to glare at him, but stopped when she saw him raise a flute to his lips and start playing. Mere seconds later, an all-too-familiar "Mon Ami!" pierced the air as a Noble Grunty ran into view at full speed, leaving a trail of dust behind it.

Kite hopped up on the animal without delay, and offered a hand down to BlackRose. "Come on!"

This time, she let a grin appear, and hauled herself up onto the Grunty's back with his help. "Let's go!" she yelled, holding her blade one-handed over her back, the other hand clutching the side of Kite's vest for support.

Together they rode into the fight, in time to watch Balmung dispatch one of the Twin Blades, and Sanjuro arrive to help him defeat the other. As the Grunty sped past, BlackRose spotted the Heavy Blade she had engaged before moving in to even the odds; letting out a holler, she spun her sword around and lashed out at the Heavy Blade, clipping him along the side of the head and knocking him brutally to the ground.

Scanning the battlefield, Kite spotted the ghost of Tamon milling about, somewhat aimlessly, and opened his inventory; he broke out a Resurrection potion and threw it to the Long Arm, shouting "Tamon! Take this!"

Rays of light filtered down over his transparent form, and in a flash, he was solid again. With little fanfare, he gave Kite a thumbs up and spun his spear expertly as he rejoined the fight.

BlackRose hopped down off the Grunty to finish off the Heavy Blade, leaving Kite alone on the back of the beast. The boy managed a small, satisfied smile when he saw three more of the attackers fall; Ryoko took out her Axeman, Orca struck down his Long Arm, and BT, whom had been quietly charging her skill points along the outskirts of the melee, crushed a hapless Long Arm beneath massive, magically-summoned rocks.

"Shit!" hollered the Twin Blade fighting Balmung. "There's too many of them! I'm bailing, I don't need it that badly!"

As he gated out, the only other survivor, an Axeman, seemed to share the sentiment. "Never fought anything THIS tough before… I'm outta here!"

The ghosts of the other players soon left, forced out of the field by their party's departure, leaving the heroes by themselves.

Eyeing his surroundings with a steely gaze, Balmung was first to speak up. "Is everyone okay?"

"Just fine, I think," replied Orca.

"Yes," said Ryoko between pants. "I'm okay, but… who were those players?"

Climbing down from his Grunty, Kite sheathed his weapons and straightened out his vest. "I don't know. There was something weird about that girl…" he glanced at BlackRose. "Did you hear what she said? Before you, uh… I mean, before you attacked?"

She shrugged. "I dunno… I heard her say your name, though."

"There's something off about this," said Tamon, lightly tapping the bottom of his spear against the ground. "Those didn't seem like the guys Dean's been after." He then pointed the tip of the weapon at Orca, and then at Balmung. "And if they were players, they sure as hell should've known who YOU were, at least…"

Sanjuro furrowed his brow. "He's right. They had to have been duped, there's no way they would've come after us like that out of the blue."

"Didn't…" Orca began, trailing off as his eyes shifted upwards, as if reading invisible lines of text. "Yeah, that guy controlling Aura… he said 'Monroe, let's introduce them to our contestants.'"

BlackRose swallowed. "That's the name from before." She turned to Ryoko. "Remember? When they tried to kidnap Aura the first time?"

"Um… hey," muttered BT, joining the conversation. "Hey!" she repeated louder, getting everyone's attention. "Where's Stolls?"

* * *

(Goddamnit… where did you go, you son of a bitch…) 

Stolls crept by a small natural archway, placing one hand on the rock as he peered around it, searching for Aura. During the battle, a well-timed blast from BT knocked the Axeman away, giving Stolls time to spot the footprints that led away, into a small, rocky portion of the field. Determined to catch Felix, he followed them, but now he wondered if leaving the group wasn't the smartest idea he'd ever had.

(Easy, Dean… easy,) he thought, trying to calm himself. The controller was slick in his hands, and reflexively he tightened his grip on his character's weapon, ready to strike anything that got close enough.

"I know you're there, Dean," called Felix mockingly, his tone growing increasingly hostile. "You never could let things go, could you? Never knew when to just walk away?!"

"You never gave me that option," Stolls replied. "It was either play dumb or get suicided."

"Is that what you've been telling yourself, Mr. Boy Scout? Or is that just what you're telling me?"

Stolls glowered, vaguely addressing the direction Felix's voice was coming from. "Scott pulls a gun on me and threatens to kill me AND my parents, and then your dumbass friends leave behind everything IA needed to throw me in a cell 'till the end of the next decade! And you have the nerve to talk to ME about walking away?!"

"I didn't want to believe you'd sell us out, Stollis, but it was always there, in the back of my mind. 'He's just a goody-two-shoes,' they said. 'He doesn't have the stomach for this,' they told me."

A pair of soft footsteps prompted Stolls to whirl around, finding himself face-to-face with Aura, a pained look on her pale, fragile face. "I stood up for you," said Felix. "I knew you wanted to provide for Claire, more than what a cop's salary could offer."

"I. Didn't. Have. Any. Choice!" Dean yelled, enunciating each and every word. He could feel his face growing red with anger, but he had long since ceased to care; hefting his staff, he charged toward the possessed girl, eager to swing as many times as it would take to get him to stop talking.

Aura smiled coldly. "I suppose you didn't." Before Stolls could reach her, there was a slight hissing noise, followed by the sound of someone gating out. Aura's face returned to an empty stare, and she collapsed lifelessly on the ground, her blades slowly disintegrating into nothingness.

Stolls stopped, literally in mid-step. All the hatred at once drained from him, and he knew that Felix was gone.

Sighing wearily, he approached the fallen girl, dropping to one knee to examine her more closely. She didn't so much as budge, her hair and dress askew yet unmoving. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch her, and was startled when his hand met with resistance; skin, hair, and even folds of cloth were utterly immovable, as sturdy as if she was a statue.

A full color, flesh-and-blood statue.

A thousand questions ran through his mind, each generating a thousand possibilities, yet only one shone through the confusion, one that caused his stomach to turn.

He heard footsteps from his left, his right, from all around; he couldn't be sure where, but within seconds his companions had surrounded him, and Aura.

"Dean?" Kite's voice called, timid and uncertain.

The detective answered, just as unsteadily: "I think they got her."

* * *

"The administrator you seek is not currently available." 

The letters glowed in the message hanging before his eyes, irritating and mystifying. "Where the hell did he go?" muttered Stolls, reclining into the wooden chair, which seemed to barely hold up his battered, weary figure.

For lack of a better idea, the group retreated from the field to a private room, only to find that Lios had stepped away from his desk, or lost his connection, or any one of a dozen or so potential maladies.

"It just doesn't make any goddamn sense," said Tamon, one of the five who was still there, head placed firmly in his hands, elbows propped up on the table. "Number one, how do you take her out without a hacker, and number two, why would she just be lying there if all they did was make a copy?"

Ryoko left shortly after they exited the field, ostensibly to tend to chores offline, and on the promise that she be briefed upon her return. Orca left for similar reasons, the thirty-six minutes of combat and dialogue just pushing him over the one-hour limit set by his mother. Sanjuro left without a word, seeming more pensive and quiet than was his nature, and Balmung followed his lead, silent but clearly haunted.

"They did something to Helba that first time," said BlackRose, snapping her fingers. "He… well, he kissed her, remember, and then they took over? Could they have done that to Aura?"

"Then why wouldn't they have done that in the first place?" BT countered, keeping an air of resolve, though her eyes betrayed a darker emotion.

"I don't know," BlackRose admitted. "Maybe they couldn't find her?"

Kite nodded to BlackRose. "She was… dormant, I think, wasn't she?"

"Perhaps," said BT. She noticed Stolls lower his head, facing the rest of the group. "Any luck?"

"Not a word," replied Stolls. "Guess he stepped away from his desk or something. That figures."

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

Stolls kneaded his temples, shaking his head back and forth. "Well, I'm out of ideas. This was kind of a long shot as it was… now we got nothin'."

"Don't be so sure, detective."

All five turned at the sound of Lios' voice, his avatar emerging from a darkened corner of the room. "I'm sorry for that. The boss wanted to see me, I couldn't get out of it." His tone, bearing hints of apology, quickly grew more serious. "But I think I've found something you should have a look at."

A text box appeared at the head of the table, between Lios and the players. "I was monitoring those ten players who attacked you, and I noticed a few discrepancies. First of all, they appeared to share an IP address."

Tamon crooked an eyebrow. "Ten of them? That's not possible. That'd mean all ten of them were alternates… on the same account or computer something. Wouldn't it?"

"If they're on the same network," said Lios, "the administrator could mask them if he knew what he was doing. It'd look like a discrepancy on our part, unless you took into account this next piece of information." The box flashed, and more text appeared, listing player names and logoff times, all ten of them at the exact same time, down to the second.

"I don't understand," said Stolls. "Are you trying to say they're all the same character?"

"They're all the same account," Lios corrected, "linked in such a way that ten can be logged on from one account at the same time. Even if they log off at different times, only one time is listed – that of the last character."

"So, what does that mean?" asked BT.

"It sounds like a place where there'd be a lot of computers," BlackRose answered. "Maybe an internet café?"

"Any place with a network," said Stolls. "That narrows it down, but not by much. Can you show me that IP, again? I know a couple guys who may be able to do something with it."

Lios eyed Stolls questioningly, but complied, showing the previous screen. "I hope you know what you're doing," he muttered.

"Yeah… me too."

- End of Chapter 31


	32. Hiding in Plain Sight

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack isn't mine blah blah blah yackety smackety. Y'know what? I'm gonna break tradition here, just this once. You all know who this stuff really belongs to. I'm making the most of this space! So, uh… in your FACE, disclaimer!

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine, and (thoughts look like so!) At long last, we have us some answers! Don't you worry, kind reader, I wouldn't have built it up this far if it didn't have resolution somewhere along the line, and there will be even more answers in Chapter 33, which is also coming soon. Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!

This chapter done to the tune of: Freedom Fighters OST – Nightfall

Chapter 32 – Hiding in Plain Sight

* * *

"Hey, thanks for the help, BlackRose," said Stolls, bowing his head to the slender Heavy Blade. "Really, you guys did good back there. We just might catch 'em napping if this works." 

She smiled. "You'd better let me know if you find anything," she mock-ordered, and then in a more serious tone added, "you'll find Aura… right?"

"That's the plan. Someone in the group was running that network, I'd bet my last dollar on it. And don't worry, I'll keep you guys up to speed."

"All right. Good luck, Mr. Stollis!" Turning to Kite, she added, "I'll see you later, Kite!"

Stolls was about to speak, but was completely caught off-guard when the boy's thorny companion gave Kite a quick, but firm hug. His arms enveloped her as well, if briefly, and when they parted both were smiling.

"You too," he replied. "Take care!"

BlackRose gated out, leaving only the cluttered broadway of Mac Anu behind her. Kite turned to face a proud grin from Stolls, and a raised eyebrow from both BT and TamonAdillo.

"Bravo, Hiro man," said Stolls, clapping his gloved hands together. "Bra-vo." He stepped closer, patting the Twin Blade on the shoulder. "I knew you had it in you."

"They just hugged," said Tamon. "What's the big deal?"

"Now, now, this is big," replied Stolls, still facing a blushing Kite. "So what's her name?"

"Um… w-well," he mumbled, fidgeting, avoiding Stolls' eyes.

BT interrupted, stepping partially between the two players. "Come on, you're embarrassing him," she chided. Almost amused, she added, "And besides, don't you have a job to do?"

"Hey, just 'cause we're trying to find out what happened to the most advanced AI ever and confronting soul-destroying evil," he stopped to catch his breath, "doesn't mean we can't have a little fun in the process!"

Tamon eyed him suspiciously. "That sounds rehearsed."

"Thought it up during the meeting," Stolls said out the side of his mouth. "Sue me."

Chuckling, BT shook her head. "Still, I think you should get to it, detective." She gave him a stern look. "Without Aura… who knows what could happen to The World in her absence? We don't even know where she's gone, or if she even is…"

"I know, I know," Stolls interrupted, all humor lost from his face. He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly focused and severe. "Just trying to stay positive. I got a real bad feeling about this. Waiting on Junichiro and Sato to come up with an address."

"What are you going to do?" Kite asked.

The male Wavemaster closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath through his nose. He then opened his eyes and, as seriously as he could muster, said "Improvise."

Tamon turned away, rubbing his forehead. "Oh, god," he muttered, then snickered almost inaudibly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Stolls replied sarcastically.

"Sorry, sorry," said Tamon, waving a hand towards Stolls. "But you don't exactly have a good track record with that."

BT threw a look at the Long Arm. "I beg to differ," she said matter-of-factly, taking a few steps toward Stolls. There was a tiny smile on her face, enigmatic yet genuine. "Call it a hunch."

Stolls grinned again, somewhat sheepishly. "See, now THAT's a vote of confidence. That'll make all the difference in the world. Case closed right there." He glanced at Tamon. "No thanks to YOUR negative ass, Max."

"Yeah, yeah…" muttered Tamon, hiding a grin of his own.

"All right, I'm gone. Wish me luck!"

Stolls began to log out, but stopped when he heard Kite speak.

"Akira," said the teal-haired warrior with a small, growing smile. "Her name's Akira."

The detective had to fight to keep another grin off his face. Instead he merely pointed at the Twin Blade with his index finger, winking as he signaled the logoff command and The World went black.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?" 

Squinting through the windshield, Dean shielded his eyes from the sun, staring from one parking lot to another, the latter in front of a seemingly innocuous little internet café – he recalled that as BlackRose's suggestion. Tokuoka and Ichiro had tracked down the source of the IP address, through methods that the latter described as simply 'making a few calls.' The directions to the street address dead-ended near a strip mall in southern Tokyo, leaving him with over two dozen potential businesses to check.

He might have had to, were it not for the silver Range Rover parked in front of the café, between two other cars. Pointing to it, he spoke to Junichiro, sitting in the passenger seat. "Right there. That's one of their vehicles."

The former Cyber Connect employee looked at him. "Well, we followed the directions… but there's no telling what the situation is. How could they use an internet café to pull off something like this?"

Dean reached into the backseat, fishing blindly through his open duffel bag; he produced his camera, taking it out of its leather case and turning it on. "Well," he said, lining up the lens with the Range Rover, "that's what we're here to find out."

As Dean took a picture, Junichiro replied, "You have to admit, there's something really wrong with all this. First they need a hacker to get to Aura, this time they didn't." He thought for a moment, then added, "Of course, we didn't see them get another, that doesn't mean they didn't have one…"

"And we don't know that they actually have Aura," Dean said, setting down the camera. "Like I said, that's why we're here." He turned to Tokuoka. "It looks like they're all in the café. Could you do me a favor and get my cell phone? It's in the glove box."

Junichiro opened and took out the phone, which he handed to Dean. "Who are you calling?"

Dean unbuckled his seat belt. "You see a cell phone," he said, holding up the device in question. "I see a cheap Lo-Jack." He reached again into the duffel bag, this time removing a roll of duct tape. Turning on the power to the phone, he extended the antenna and opened his door. "Be back in a sec. Leave the engine running."

Tokuoka watched as Dean casually stepped out of the car, closing the door and making his way across the lot. (Is he crazy?!) he thought, the detective nonchalantly approaching the silver vehicle. He noticed Dean was being cautious in his step, careful to keep the Range Rover between him and the café window.

(What's he going to do with the pho… wait, a Lo-Jack?) He blinked, the idea becoming clear to him as Dean casually knelt down next to the driver's side of the Range Rover, as if to tie his shoes. (Ohhhh… I get it.) Though he couldn't see the detective, he could almost picture Dean tearing off a length of tape and fastening the phone to the underside of the car. Sure enough, when he stood back up, the phone was gone.

Junichiro smirked. (Clever.)

Dean calmly yet quickly made his way back over to the car, hopping into the driver's seat. His face was a tad flushed as let out a sigh of relief. "All right," he said after a second's pause. "Let's hope it sticks this time. I'll move the car a little more out of sight."

"Wait, what do you mean 'this time?' You've tried this before?"

Dean looked sheepish, even as he shifted into reverse. "Uh… maybe?"

"Maybe?" Junichiro pressed. "What does that mean?"

"Okay, fine," Dean grumbled, "I saw it in a movie once." He pulled out of the parking space, looking over his shoulder to ensure it was clear. "Guy was trying to track a killer's car, so he taped his phone to the underside; the idea was he could get the cops to trace the number."

As the car turned, Junichiro asked "Did it work?"

Reluctantly, Dean said, "No… no, in fact, it didn't. Was still a good idea. I can get Masa to track it once they've stopped. 'course, the real problem is…" he broke off as he stopped backing out, looking forward again.

"How you know when they've stopped," Junichiro finished.

"Bingo… oh, shit! Damn, they're leaving already; better park again, else they'll see us."

Dean finagled the car back into the spot, and both men turned and watched as the Range Rover started to life. Shifting to park, Dean snagged the camera and zoomed in as far as it would allow, taking another picture. Two men now occupied the vehicle; he recognized one as Sato, from the restaurant. "Well, if it isn't the swordsman."

"What did you say?"

The vehicle pulled away, giving Dean a chance to capture the license plate as it turned right out of the lot. "Some joker named Sato's with Felix and his men. Carries around a katana." He turned around, and started pulling other items out of the bag – including his tape recorder. "Looks like another hired helper, but he's got some beef with me, that's all I know."

"Oh, right, you mentioned him earlier," Junichiro nodded. "So, what now?"

"We go and have a look around," said Dean, killing the engine and opening the door.

Together, they stepped out. As Dean locked the doors behind them, Junichiro asked, "What if one of them is still inside?"

"Then I've got just the thing." He walked around the back of his car, shoes scraping against the pavement. Keys jingled as he unlocked the trunk, and he said, "It's a very high-tech, all-purpose detective's tool. Top-of-the-line. Very discreet and all."

Junichiro gave him a dubious stare. "That's a tire iron."

"You don't say."

* * *

DING 

"Network's down, buddy," said the bored-looking clerk from behind the desk, his face buried in a novel as he reclined in a chair. "We're closed for now."

"Sorry. I just wanted to ask you a few questions." The accent and language were Japanese.

The clerk looked up, through the glare of fluorescent lights across three long two-sided rows of computers, all of which were on but none in use. Across the room stood two men – one American, one Japanese; the former dressed mostly in black, a button-down shirt and matching jeans; the latter more visible attire, a pair of khakis and a short-sleeved blue dress shirt, beneath a lightweight red coat.

Frowning, the clerk dismissed both men with a wave, turning back to his book. "I said we're closed," he repeated in English.

"I'm looking for Monroe," said the American, starting around the rows of computers. "Is he here?"

"Who wants to know?"

The two men got close enough to examine the clerk – a lanky young Japanese man with shoulder-length hair, clad in a gray work shirt and jeans, the former of which identified him as "Yoshiro," and bore the name of the café as well.

"I'd like to ask him what he wanted with Aura."

Yoshiro's blood froze in his veins. He closed his book and looked up at the men; his eyes widened in shock as he got a closer look at the American, and his expression did not go unnoticed.

Dean smiled faintly. "Or maybe I should ask you instead."

"You…!" Yoshiro grunted in surprise, one hand already reaching for the phone.

He never got close. Dean released the head of the iron, which he'd been palming, the shaft concealed in his sleeve; before Yoshi's fingers could get anywhere near the receiver, Dean brought the tool down hard on his arm, causing him to cry out in pain and fall backwards, the chair tipping over and spilling him onto the floor.

"Bad move, my friend," said Dean, rounding the counter. "June, lock the door, would ya?"

Footsteps retreated to the front of the store as Junichiro complied. Yoshiro stared at Dean, clearly frightened, nursing his arm.

"I'm not gonna screw around with you." Dean took a step closer. "Just tell me what you did with Aura, and how it involves both Asara and Cyber Connect."

"G-go to hell!" cried Yoshi, scrambling away from the detective. He suddenly reached under the counter, and pulled out a baseball bat, which he waved threateningly towards Dean as he got back on his feet. "Keep away from me."

"You just keep making bad moves." Dean shook his head. "Kid, I'm not exactly brimming with confidence, but you are way out of your league." He narrowed his eyes. "Right now I'm mostly indifferent towards you, your helping commit a felony notwithstanding. You take a swing at me, you better hope it hits because you'll only get one," he started to growl, "and then I'll make sure it's a DAMN long time before you touch a keyboard again, because I will break every last one of your fingers."

The tip of the bat was shaking, Yoshiro's eyes were wide and twitching. He nearly jumped out of his shoes when Dean shouted, "Drop the goddamn bat!"

That did it. Yoshiro cringed and released the bat, which clattered noisily to the black-and-white patterned tile floor. "Okay, okay!" he gasped, backing off with his hands raised in surrender. "Don't hurt me! Th-they, they paid me! They needed a network for something, something to do with 'The World'." Sweating profusely, he added, "A bunch of guys came in, mean-looking guys, I don't know."

"Who was here a couple hours ago?" asked Dean.

"Uh… it was just some kids," he said shakily. "I don't know what the deal was, but they had some kids sign up… said it was…"

Junichiro called from across the room, having listened to every word. "Test your character's skills; Cyber Connect looking for beta testers for newly-developed PC bot programs. Ask Yoshiro Monroe for details." Glancing over at Dean, he pointed to a bulletin board on the west wall. "He's right, looks like they were just using players."

Dean nodded to him. "Figures." Turning back to Yoshiro, he lowered the iron. "So what's your role in all this, kid? You the hacker?"

"No!" he protested. "Well… no, not exactly. It's not what you think. Like I said, they just needed a network, they paid… okay, okay, so I did a little wetwork for them."

"What kind of wetwork?"

Yoshiro looked away shamefully. "Bypassed some firewalls, uploaded some custom character specs… uh, I wrote a hijacker worm for software, and changed some local field settings." He looked back up. "I didn't think it'd hurt anyone, I didn't even know what they wanted. They just came in, said they knew…" he trailed off.

"Knew what?" Dean pressed.

Giving a heavy sigh, Yoshiro continued. "They knew I'd been busted for felony hacking before. My boss doesn't know, they never would've hired me otherwise. They just paid me to keep quiet, and to keep an eye out for… uh, for you, but I didn't… I mean," he fumbled, "I don't even know who you are, or what's going on."

By now, Junichiro had joined the conversation, physically and vocally. "You said you wrote a hijacker worm? That's awfully sophisticated… how did you manage it?"

"Ah, it wasn't just me," he answered. "They even gave me some software; that old guy, Sato, he works for Cyber Connect. He got the basic coding, all I had to do was modify it."

Dean and Junichiro exchanged looks. "What was the software?"

"Uh… something called 'Delphi.' I'd never heard of it before."

Dean did his best to hide his reaction, which was something of shock and horror. "You were about to call a number," said Dean. "What was it?"

"The Park Hotel, in Shiodome. Sato said he was going to meet with some people, and he'd be there for the next couple hours."

Yoshiro started as Dean reached into his shirt pocket, and heard a 'click' as a stop button was pressed on a concealed recorder. "Beautiful," he said with a smile. "Can I use your phone?"

- End of Chapter 32


	33. In the Company of Gentlemen

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts do not belong to me. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) I know, I know… you've been waiting a long time for some plot resolution, but the answers are coming, and some of them are here. Pay attention, friends. We're on the home stretch now :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Chemical Brothers – Let Forever Be

Chapter 33 – In the Company of Gentlemen

* * *

"Delphi. Don't you see? They really are working together, and now we have proof!" 

The blue Civic with dice in the window rolled easily down the street, weaving between cars with a practiced bravado. Over the radio played a news show, the hosts almost muted under the voices of the car's occupants.

"I don't understand," said Tokuoka. "You said something about it to the lieutenant, and it sounds familiar, but…"

Dean gave him a quick glance. "Delphi was an anti-hacker program that could take over software and use it, including characters in 'The World.' I thought I destroyed it all, but if anybody could make another one, it'd be Cyber Connect."

He switched on the turn signal, getting into the proper lane as they came to a stop at an intersection. "You remember what happened to Aura after all the phases were destroyed, right? After the end of the Wave?"

Junichiro nodded. "I wasn't there personally, but I'm told she went into some kind of hibernation. I believe she was adapting to her new task."

"Right," said Dean, starting into the turn. "She was still an immature AI system, she needed time to grow. Now, if I were a betting man, I'd bet that the only people who could find her in such a state, would be those that were involved. What do you think?"

"Keep talking."

"Specifically a hacker, or an administrator," Dean continued. "Like Helba or Lios. Of course, you can bet they wouldn't do it on their own…" he gestured with one hand, leading Junichiro to the obvious conclusion.

He followed. "They would need a program to steal their character."

"Exactly. And Cyber Connect just happens to have one handy." Dean chewed on his lip. "I still don't know why they would try to steal their own program, but they're definitely in on it. Then there's the question of what Rosenberg and Asara bring to the table."

The Japanese man scratched his chin for a moment, furrowing his brow. "Asara's still trying to develop that OS… what else do they make?"

Dean shrugged. "Beats me. They're a software company, though. Maybe CC needed something else. Maybe they just needed manpower. Aldous has a lot of connections, and god knows they've done it before."

Without warning, a bright red sports car in the left lane swerved right in front of them, cutting them off with barely a foot to spare. Dean instinctively braked, backing off even as the car sped away in front of him. "Hey, watch it asshole!" he growled, pounding on the horn. "Jesus!"

"He sure was in a hurry," Junichiro remarked dryly.

"Dammit," muttered Dean. "Uh… where was I… oh, right. Well, we've got proof that CC is involved. Just need to find out why they'd work with Asara, and why they'd steal their own program."

"It's possible they just wanted to get rid of it." Junichiro's face went blank. "Maybe Rosenberg bought it off him?"

"Why the hell would you get rid of a one-of-a-kind artificial in…tel…" he stopped as his mind started churning. (Why would they… unless they had no use for her. One of a kind; maybe they couldn't duplicate her. Oh, shit.) "Oh, SHIT!" he yelled.

"What, what is it?"

"If they couldn't copy her," said Dean, "I think they're gonna pick through her code and change her."

"But… that would kill her!"

"Exactly."

* * *

The triangular Park Hotel jutted into the sky, overlooking a bridge which crossed over a tiny canal. Several nearby office buildings and expensive-looking residences tried valiantly to match its height, the tallest roughly half of the hotel's ten floors. 

The streets surrounding the hotel were suspiciously abuzz with activity, far more than the typical crowd of tourists and foreigners. Dean spotted police – disguised as repairmen – on the roofs of nearby buildings, and noticed that one of them was wielding a shotgun microphone. In the lot of one of the offices sat a conspicuously unmarked white van, and both men were quick to notice a few squad cars in the area, circling around as if coincidentally patrolling the area.

"This sure didn't take 'em long at all," said Dean.

"I think the word of our friend Mr. Monroe helped speed things along," was Junichiro's reply.

They got out of the car, and were almost instantly accosted by a youngish police officer, who had seemingly appeared from out of nowhere. "Excuse me, sir," he said, "but we're in the middle of an arrest. I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave for now."

Dean's reply was preempted by a familiar Japanese voice. "It's all right, Koji, that's our man." All three turned and watched as Lieutenant Masamoto approached the car. "This is Dean Stollis," he said, stepping between Koji and Dean. "He's the one who gave us the info." He turned to Dean. "Good to see you again." He extended a hand.

The detective shook it generously, and was only momentarily surprised to feel a folded-up piece of paper in the palm of the elder cop's hand. "Likewise," he replied.

"You owe me one," muttered Aniki, "if this isn't genuine."

"Trust me, this'll pay for itself," Dean answered. Palming the piece of paper, he shoved his hand in his pocket, pretending to fumble around for something, before producing that same piece of paper. He unfolded it and showed it to Koji.

"By order of the Japanese Government," said Aniki to Koji in their native language, "Precinct 4 of the Tokyo Police has secured the assistance of one Dean Stollis, in regards to the string of cyberterrorist attacks and related disturbances. He's a civilian advisor under our employ for the duration of this affair."

Koji's eyes shifted back and forth as he read the certificate. After a couple seconds he nodded, and then glanced up at Junichiro. "Are you with Mr. Stollis, sir?"

Junichiro rounded the car to join them. "Yes sir. My name is Junichiro Tokuoka, I'm a former employee of Cyber Connect; I was director of 'The World' for its release here."

Aniki's eyes widened. "Is that so?" He gave Dean a curious smirk. "And can you verify what Mr. Stollis discussed with me, that one of the men we're currently watching was seen with a hacker, and that this hacker helped perpetrate the theft of data from your former employers?"

"I can. Every word of it is true," said Junichiro firmly.

"Excellent. Gentlemen, if you'll follow me, please?"

Together, the four of them walked over to the white van, towards the open rear doors. Inside were two police technicians; one was wearing headphones and a speaking into a microphone, sitting in front of what had to be a radio; the other before several monitors, one of them depicting the inside of a hotel room, and – if microwave was to be believed – its three occupants.

Masamoto grabbed the roof of the van and leaned inside. "What's our status?"

"Everything's A-OK, sir," said one of the techs. "Getting every word."

"Mind if I give a listen?" asked Dean.

The radio technician glanced at Masamoto for a moment, who nodded. "All right," said the tech, "I'll switch to speaker." He turned a knob, and suddenly voices began to float in through a speaker on the console.

"Look, I don't care about your concerns, Mr. Sato, I just want the product." The voice was harsh, guttural, and in English.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Mr. Rosenberg." Dean's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets. "There have been complications. The men you've directed to assist us… these are not professionals! They are criminals, thieves, con men… and that Felix is the worst of them all! He… he goads this man, like it's but a game to him!"

Junichiro and Aniki both looked at Dean as a third man started to speak. "Look, he was brought in because we knew he would keep Stollis' attention off of what we were really doing. So far, he's played right into our hands."

"This is not someone to trifle with," said Sato. "I was there that night he infiltrated Cyber Connect. He is uncannily resourceful."

"So what do you suggest we do?" said the third man.

"Kill him now!" shouted Sato, rather loudly. "He is… irrelevant now that we have Aura, and the longer he is left alone the more likely he is to catch on to us."

"There's something not right here," Dean muttered. "Do we have a camera on the room?"

"Sorry sir, only microwave," answered the video technician. "We can't get a good angle from the surrounding buildings."

"What is it, what's wrong?" asked Masamoto.

Rosenberg spoke up after a few seconds of silence. "All right. Make it happen, but I want that disc."

Dean blinked. (He WANTS the disc? I thought they already had it! What's going on here!) "Something's off. I think it's a setup. Do you have any men in place?"

"Six SWAT units, three in the north stairwell, three in the south. Dean, what is it?"

One of the speakers made a gurgling noise. "Grrt! That's… mnng…" he cleared his throat, "don't worry, Aldous, you'll get the disc, as soon as we're done with it."

Dean turned around and pointed to the microwave picture, purple man-shaped objects dominating the mostly dark screen. "They have Aura already. These guys are jerking us around, it's a decoy."

Masamoto's reaction could have been measured in microseconds. He turned to the radio tech. "Tell Team One to move in, Team Two to stand by. Perimeter units secure the area, I don't want a single car getting out of here without us knowing about it."

"Are you sure they're still in the building?" asked Dean.

"He has to be, the Range Rover entered the underground parking lot. Hasn't left yet."

There was a loud explosion, and bright flashes of light drew everybody's attention back to the microwave monitor. Gunfire was heard over the radio as the bodies in the room drew weapons and opened fire on the invading SWAT team, taking cover as they did so. One by one, their bodies convulsed and collapsed to the floor, withering under audible yet invisible gunfire. Within seconds, three more figures entered the room, slowly but steadily checking every corner for other potential targets.

The lead figure raised a hand to his head, and a voice came through the radio. "This is Team One. The room has been secured. Three hostiles down. No injuries. Over."

"Copy that, Team One. Can you confirm any…"

The squeal of tires distracted all once again. Across the street, they saw a limousine race up the ramp from the lot below, and almost a full second later the radio began squawking. "Car has broken containment! I repeat, a limousine has broken containment! All units, converge on the north side of the hotel!"

"Shit!" hissed Dean. "We gotta go after 'em, come on!"

A strong hand on his shoulder held him back. "It's all right," said Masamoto. "We're ready for this." He nodded to the radio tech. "Give the signal to the VI Team."

"Yes, sir!"

Tokuoka, who had been silent for a while, asked, "VI Team?"

* * *

"Keep going!" shouted the man in the passenger seat, young, blonde-haired and wearing a navy blue suit. "Get out of the garage!" 

"But where?" asked the driver, a nervous, slightly older man, similar in dress to the first.

From the backseat came the order, by an older man in a gray suit and dark red tie, hair receding with barely any traces of blonde left. "Get past the bridge! That bastard Sato set us up! Just go, as fast as you can!"

The driver obliged, guiding the limousine towards the ramp up to the street. Seeing no one in the way, he stepped on the gas, causing the limo to peel out and rocket up the ramp. It bounced violently as it reached the job, careening off the ramp and onto level ground, sliding, almost out of control, onto the street.

"There's no block up ahead, sir," the driver said. "I think we can make it!"

"Damn it," grumbled the rear passenger. "Those cops knew we were here. They must've turned us in."

"But what about the assassins?" asked the other passenger. "They were there waiting for us in the room, they wouldn't be hanging around while SWAT stormed the place!"

"M-mister Rosenberg! Look!"

He followed the shaking finger of the driver as it pointed straight out the window, towards the road ahead – and the squad car parked off to the side, next to the bridge underpass. A police officer knelt next to the car, pointing a strange gun-like device at their limo.

"What is that? Walter, what is that?"

"Oh, shit! Turn, turn, TURN!"

A piercing electronic wail cut through the air; the 'barrel' of the device (which consisted of what looked like a mini-satellite dish) flashed briefly, with enough recoil for the officer holding it to stumble briefly.

The effect of the gun wasn't evident until the car's engine suddenly stopped, with the only noise being the road beneath them and the rattling of pistons as they gradually died to a halt.

"They immobilized us!" cried Walter. "Stop the car, stop it now!"

"I'm trying!" the driver shouted back. "The brakes are locked up!"

"Pull off the road!" was the next order, this time by Rosenberg. "We're gonna crash into somebody!"

"I got it, I got it!"

The limousine careened off the road, drifting onto a wide, grassy flat, mere yards away from the bridge underpass.

"We have to run for it," said Walter. "Everybody out, now!"

No sooner could they undo the door locks and scramble out of the limo than a pair of squad cars arrived, quickly cutting off their only means of escape. Two more arrived less than a minute later; sensing defeat, Aldous wearily collapsed to his knees and put his hands up, his companions doing likewise.

* * *

News: Asara CEO Arrested 

Tokyo police apprehended Asara CEO Aldous Rosenberg today, after a stakeout at the Park Hotel implicated his involvement with a group believed to be responsible for the theft of data from Cyber Connect Corporation.

"The issue was of physical security," remarked Vice President Kyoya Takahashi of CC Corp. "Mr. Rosenberg solicited outside help in acquiring a classified program from our mainframe – from within the network. This incident is strictly minor, and in no way compromises the stability of our operating systems, nor the planned events for this weekend."

"Nonetheless," he added, "I am grateful to the police their aid in bringing this matter to a close."

With Rosenberg under arrest, his replacement at the event will be one Maxwell Kerrek, one of the company's business agents. Mr. Kerrek could not be reached for immediate comment.

- End of Chapter 33


	34. Lessons Soon Learned

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Nothing in particular to note about this chapter, but stay tuned nonetheless. Pretty please :)

This chapter done to the tune of: H2SO4 – Imitation Leather Jacket

Chapter 34 – Lessons Soon Learned

* * *

Flipping one page over the back of the clipboard, Dean scanned the next as he walked next to Masamoto, both traveling down one of the police station's many hallways; brightly lit and neutral in color. 

"Jesus," muttered Dean. "He sang like a canary."

"Turns out Rosenberg was under the same impression you and I were," said the Lieutenant. "Those men in the room were waiting for Rosenberg and his, planning to ambush them. Rosenberg caught onto them, however, and they in turn must have figured out we were watching them."

"So they were first going to kill him, and then they tried set him up as the brains of the operation," said Dean.

"Basically. They obviously didn't know we were coming in." He cocked his head towards Dean for a second. "By the way, there's a message for you on page 4. We found it in the lot."

The detective obediently flipped to that page, and uttered a "huh?" when he saw a photograph of an index card, lying in an empty parking space, held in place at the corner by a small stone. A second picture was close enough to read the card itself.

'Dean

You forgot something that night. It follows every step I take.

You were fighting someone else's fight then, too.

But he won't help you fight yours. Nobody will.

Sato'

"What the hell is this guy's problem?" Dean grumbled. "He was grilling me last time, too."

"Who is that?" asked Masamoto. "You said he seemed to recognize you."

"Some guy named Sato. Just some nut with a katana, but he seems to know me. No idea what he's talking about here, though." He looked up. "Did you get the plates on his car?"

"Yeah, they were fake."

"That figures."

"It wasn't found in the lot, though; we found traces of paint flecks and such in that space; must've changed coats."

"Damn, they can do that?"

Masamoto eyed Dean again. "You used to be a cop, you know how a paint-and-spray works. It's not too hard to make the concept mobile."

"And here I thought Grand Theft Auto was just making stuff up," Dean said dryly.

Dean moved behind Aniki as a uniformed officer pushed a cart with a computer on it past them. His eyes returned to the clipboard, flipping to another page. (These were the three in the hotel. 'Tetsuya Kinichi; money laundering, gun running, former Cyber Connect security guard. Lamar Townsend; drug smuggling, assault, former Corrections Officer, San Quentin. Vincent Calieri; breaking and entering, grand theft auto, no known affiliation.') "Felix got himself a regular dirty dozen," he remarked. "I know this guy in the center. Lamar was one of his contacts back when he was running that coke heist."

"Mmm. Rosenberg claimed he was contacted by a Cyber Connect representative for the theft. He then brought on Felix, and Felix assembled his own team."

"That explains that," said Dean. "Two bigwigs in Asara and Cyber Connect stand to gain from getting Aura out of 'The World,' so one pays the other to sweeten the deal; plus their heavies, plus Felix and his guys." Dean frowned. "Looks like CC gave Felix a better offer than Asara did."

"Either that or they were planning to dump Rosenberg once they got what they needed." He glanced back at Dean. "Which, by the way, he claimed was some kind of, uh…" the older officer fumbled briefly. "What did he call it…"

Dean followed Masamoto around a corner, and finished his sentence. "A software reconstruction program," he read from the report. "I didn't even know Asara made these."

"What does it do?"

"Basically what it sounds like, recovers deleted or old data. Some of the more advanced ones… shit!" he hissed. "That's where Delphi came from, what that kid was talking about." With a frown, he glanced at Masamoto and explained. "I thought Delphi was destroyed that night at Cyber Connect, I even destroyed the copy we made – back before we knew what it was. That's what they needed to get to Aura once they found her."

('Rosenberg: We didn't recover it all, but just enough of the hacking protocols to be useful. It wasn't autonomous, just a modification to an existing character. Their rep – Sato – promised 500 million and the encoding for this program. We wanted to make our own. They just wanted it out of 'The World.')

"So that's it," Dean said to himself, going over the pieces aloud. "CC brings the Delphi fragments to Rosenberg and Asara, who brings back the program they need to get rid of Aura and secures manpower. Felix, on the other hand, sides with CC to betray him as soon as they get Aura, meaning he gets a bigger slice of the pie and CC doesn't have to pay Rosenberg a dime."

"That still leaves the question of 'why get rid of her'." asked Masamoto. "And the name of the Cyber Connect figure running the show."

"This whole thing," said Dean, "it's more like they're trying to get rid of a witness, or evidence, instead of some program nobody's heard of."

The lieutenant nodded. "I'm thinking the same thing. This is far more complex than theft. Even what you pulled that night didn't come close." He stopped, and turned to face Dean. "So what are we looking at, here?"

"By my count, there are seven more individuals who have stolen the most advanced AI the world has ever known." He stared evenly at Masamoto, doing his best to keep a straight face. "Cyber Connect used Rosenberg and Felix to get it off their networks, possibly to destroy it, but something went wrong; the program is still technically there, in some… kind of dormant state, I wasn't sure myself."

"So getting rid of her isn't as simple as putting her in a container and destroying it."

"That seems to be the case." Dean looked away for a moment, thinking as he chewed on his lip. "Maybe they need to get her to whoever's running this thing, or maybe there's some other step they have to do to get rid of her completely."

"If he's Cyber Connect – that is, if Rosenberg isn't lying to us – then he'll probably be at the conference on Saturday. That's the final night, and it coincides with the Tech Expo. It'd be an ideal cover to make the exchange – the disc for the money. They wouldn't dare do it just anywhere with an all-points out on both Felix and this 'Sato' figure." He half-smiled. "Good pictures, by the way."

Dean chuckled. "I try. So, it looks like we sit and wait, huh?"

"We'll be watching CC officials closely," Masamoto added, "and I, personally, will be at the conference helping with security. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate your help covering the Expo."

"I'll be there anyway," said Dean with a full smile. "You can count on me. We'll nab this guy one way or another."

* * *

"Earlier today, police lieutenant Aniki Masamoto issued a statement that did not confirm the rumors of Cyber Connect's involvement in the affair. However, an All-Points Bulletin has been issued for the following suspects, wanted in connection to the attempted theft." 

Though the words were in Japanese, Dean clearly understood the name "Croker, Felix" in the female announcer's bright, chipper voice. Instantly he whirled towards the TV, pointing the gun at the handsome gray-and-white mug shot displayed on the screen.

CLICK. A pull of the trigger released the projectile, firing it clear across the room in a small parabolic arc, landing smack between Felix's colorless eyes.

Dean grinned. (Gotcha, you bastard.) He set the dart gun on the counter next to him. (I still got it,) he thought, turning his attention back to the phone wedged on his shoulder. "Sorry, ma, had to swat a fly. You were sayin'?"

He took the phone in his hand, wandering back over to the couch. Grabbing the remote, he turned down the volume as he settled in. A glance at the wall clock told the time; close to midnight, meaning it was close to noon half a world a way. "Oh, where was I," muttered an older woman's voice in his ear. "Wait, here it is!" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, it's two teaspoons of salt, not one."

He blinked. "Really? I've been makin' it with one."

"Well, you don't need two, it'll just be a little sweeter otherwise."

"Heh heh. Yeah, I guess so. I'll give it a try, thanks."

"That's all right," she said between chuckles. "Gotta make sure you get at least one good meal while you're over there!"

Dean stretched out on the couch, propping his feet up. "Ahh," he groaned. "Ah, c'mon, ma, you know me. I'm in an apartment, and I'm still coasting on that investment. Meals are a luxury until I get paid." A heartbeat later, he added. "Kidding, I'm kidding. Don't worry, I'm eatin' right. Just had a hankering for some oxtail soup."

"I knew I should've given you the recipe. Your father kept saying 'Why would he need a cookbook? You're spoiling him!'" Her mock male voice got a laugh out of Dean. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, I know how he is," he said, his voice dry and lazy, "I know, I know how you guys are. He spoils me too, y'know. Last week he sent me 4,000 and a brand new Cadillac, are you gonna let him one-up you like that?"

More laughter. "Yes, yes I am."

"Heh heh… ahh, I miss you guys," he sighed. "Anyway, I better hit the hay, I was runnin' all over. Tell Dad everything's fine, I love him, and I love you too, ma. You take care, all right?"

"We love you too, sweetie," she said. "Are you still coming back in May?"

"Oh, sure!" he replied. "Yeah, don't worry. Wouldn't miss dad's birthday for the world."

"Glad to hear it. We all miss you too back here. Good night, Dean!"

"G'night… er, bye, ma!"

He hit the 'off' button, hanging up just in time to notice a soft chime from the computer, audible – just audible – over the sound of the TV.

One of his backbones cracked slightly as he stood up, sauntering over to the computer, depositing the cordless phone on a nearby chair. (When he closes a door…) the saying ran through his head, doing laps; he gave the mouse a shake, removing the screen saver and revealing an Instant Message addressed to him.

He slid into the chair, smiling slightly as he started to type. "Heya, Miku," he said aloud.

(You're up awfully late.)

(Technically, I'm up really early.) He added a winking emote, then typed, (took a nap a couple hours ago. Been a long day.)

(So I gathered. How'd it go?)

Dean mentally slapped himself. (Ah, right. Heh, guess I forgot to let you all know. Of course, you can probably figure it out if you watched the news today.)

(Hmm. So that was you?)

(In a way. We got a big lead with this one. Everyone's eyes are on Cyber Connect now.)

(Hold on.)

Seconds later, the phone rang. Dean stood up and retrieved it from the chair where he had left it. "Y'ello?"

"You were saying?" said Miku.

He chuckled. "This is better," he replied, walking back over to the computer and closing the instant messenger. "Anyway, it's good news all around. We're still looking for Felix and the disc, plus whoever's behind this, but it's just a matter of time now."

"Sounds like you did rather well, then," she said, sounding amused, and even slightly impressed.

"Well, we're definitely better off than we were," was his answer. "Not to change the subject, but were you looking for me for any particular reason?"

"Just now, or earlier today?"

(Question with a question. Heh. You sure can pick 'em, Dean.) "First one, then second one."

That familiar, soft, delightful throaty laugh. "No, then yes. Let's just say that… knowing you has been very… interesting, so far."

"There's a feather in my cap," he remarked.

"After being in the middle of your last escapade, did you think I would just sit this one out?" He could hear the smile in her voice. "You're not the only curious one in this city, you know."

"Hah. I suppose not." He leaned back, the chair creaking under his weight. "Though for what it's worth, I do owe you for helping out earlier."

"For playing a game? Oh, I'm sure I'll think of a way for you to repay me."

His mind moved quickly, a light brightening above his head. "I've already thought of one. You going to the Tech Expo on Saturday?"

"Valentine's Day?" she responded, a touch of incredulity. "Isn't that a little on the nose, detective?"

One of Dean's eyebrows shot up. "Wha… no, no, I didn't mean it like THAT," he fumbled, slightly flustered. "I was just gonna ask if you're going there. I could give you a ride if you need one."

That laugh again. "Relax, Dean. I know what you meant. And no, I don't need a ride."

Ordinarily, he would've given up at that. Something about the way she said 'need' got him to rephrase the question. "In that case, would you like a ride?"

"If you're offering."

"I am."

"Then I accept. How does 4 o' clock sound?"

Dean tore a post-it note away from a pad of them, grabbing a pencil and hurriedly scribbling the time down. "4pm. Sure, sounds fine. I'll see you then."

"Great. Oh, hang on, someone's on the other line."

"Sure."

There was a click, and her voice went away. Dean closed his eyes, relaxing against the chair and releasing a contented sigh. (Finally, things are starting to go my way. God knows it's been long enough.)

A moment of silliness took hold, and he glanced up at the ceiling, pointing a finger upward accusingly. "That's right, I'm onto you," he said jokingly.

The line clicked back in. "Sorry, I have to take this," said Miku.

"No problem," said Dean. "It's late anyway, I'll see you Saturday."

"Sweet dreams, detective," she said. Something about her voice sent a small shiver down the back of his spine, though he couldn't tell if it was actually something in her voice or something he was imagining.

"You too," he said, voice a little deeper than he intended.

He heard the line click, and was about to hang up when he heard her again. "Hi, Ryo."

Every ounce of Dean's blood froze in his veins. Feigning good cheer, he said "Nope, still Dean," into the receiver.

"Oh… oh! Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't press it hard enough."

"No problem, take it easy."

This time, he hung up first. Without even starting to stand up, he lightly rapped the phone against his forehead, an unwanted yet undeniable lump welling up in his throat, a byproduct of an unfamiliar and unsolicited emotion.

(Just when I think I've got her figured out,) he thought ruefully. (Damn it… why am I so goddamn jealous of her having friends?)

His thoughts were quick to answer. (Because you don't want to be just friends, Sherlock, remember? First attractive woman who's shown an even passing interest in you since you got out of prison. No freakin' wonder.)

He sighed, letting his head roll to one side, his feet sliding off the desk and dropping to the carpet below. (Damn, I hate being right.)

- End of Chapter 34


	35. Coalesce

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Once again, it seems I must apologize for an unintended absence. Without getting into specifics, let's just say that writer's block hit me long and hard.

In the interests of increasingly shorter space – and the fact that the next chapter takes place from Hiro's perspective – the length of this piece of fanfic will be expanded to 42 chapters: 20 from each perspective, 1 bonus (the next chapter), and one epilogue. To make a long story short, I need to learn how to pace these things better :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Soul Coughing – St. Louise is Listening

Chapter 35 – Coalesce

* * *

"So what's going on, man?" 

Stolls' eyes were shut as he reclined against the bridge support, contenting himself with listening to the sounds of the Aqua Capital's canal. Kite sat nearby, his feet dangling off the edge of the pier, just inches above the water.

"I know you just wanted to chat," said Stolls, "but I have a hunch you had something specific in mind."

Kite glanced up at him. "How'd you know?"

Stolls half-smiled, opening his eyes. "I didn't." He sat down, arranging his robes as his feet slid out away from the wall, crossing them at the ankle. "But your email hinted you had something pretty heavy on your mind." When the Twin Blade nodded, Stolls asked, "It's got something to do with our current, uh… problems?"

"Yeah," said Kite. "I'm… I'm worried, Dean. If you think something might happen at the show…"

"We've been over that, man," Dean tried to reassure him. "I told you, if anything happens, it'll be behind the scenes. Key is finding who the inside man is at Cyber Connect and catching them making the hand-off, if they haven't already. And I don't think they have."

"So all we can do is wait?"

Dean frowned, as did his character. "Sucks, doesn't it." He sighed. "Look, I don't wanna lie to you, I don't like this either. I'm fresh out of leads, the bad guys are out there, and the ball's in their court. Meanwhile, God only knows what they did to Aura, and I don't think even He would know what that means for The World. All we can do is wait and see. It's a shitty deal, but that's how it is."

Kite swallowed gently, nodding his head. "I just… I'm just worried." There was an audible quiver in his voice, prompting Stolls to listen closer. "Every day… every day when I'd go adventuring in here, I'd worry."

"Worry about what?" Stolls asked.

The boy looked over at him, a haunted look in his aqua eyes. "I'd worry it was going to come into my real life. That one day… my mom might've found me in a coma in front of the computer."

Dean said nothing, looking away, feeling a familiar squeezing sensation on his throat.

"And now this," Kite added. "You know… all the way to Yasuhiko's house, and back… and to school and back, sometimes I feel like I'm being watched. That someone's following me."

The squeezing grew worse. Dean wasn't ready to say that a lifetime ago, he was doing exactly that.

"The other day, Yasu… he meant it as a joke, that one day a car would pull up, and some men would grab me…" another vocal quiver, "it was a joke. I laughed… and then we both stopped talking."

Painful thoughts. Hostile thoughts. Somewhere deep inside, a deep, nasty, echoing voice was urging him, begging him to make Felix suffer, given the chance.

"What do I do?" mumbled Kite, standing up, looking skyward. "I feel like… like there's nobody I can just tell about this. Even if I told mom… told her everything… would she believe me? Would she take away the game? Would that stop it?"

Stolls stood up, watching as Kite spoke seemingly to himself, hatred giving way to pity and sorrow. (He doesn't deserve this.)

"What do I do?" Kite said again, looking down at his feet. "Is Blac… Akira in danger because of me? Is this all because of the bracelet, or Aura, or any of this? I… I…" The boy stammered, his body desperately trying to purge itself. "I don't know what to do. All I know is I'm worried."

(Me too,) Dean wanted to say. (But it's gonna be all right. We're gonna put a stop to this. You're gonna go back to doing the stuff you've always done, and you're gonna go knowing you did your part, you got to be a hero.) If his mind worked that fast, he might've said that. But he was still busy processing the scene before him, the fictitious body of Kite looking sullen and depressed, faint noises coming through the boy's microphone that might have been sniffs.

(You deserve to have a life again.)

Something inside drove Dean to plant a hand on the boy's shoulder, a command that his own fake body followed. Kite stared at Stolls questioningly, and it was all the Wavemaster could do to manage a small, determined smile.

"I'm not gonna let any of that happen," said Stolls. "I promise."

His guard down, Kite turned to face Stolls directly, eyes shimmering, perhaps with tears. Kite smiled back, weakly, as if wondering whether or not he could draw comfort from Stolls' words.

"I'm here, man," he assured the boy.

Another sniff. Kite looked away briefly. "Th-thanks, Dean…"

(I owe you that much. You showed me pity and mercy, even after you knew what I'd done, what I was here to do. You helped me out, and you didn't have to. You're a stand-up guy, Hiro. I'm glad to know you.) Again, his mind didn't work nearly that fast. What came out instead was, "'s all right," alongside a friendly pat on the shoulder, before he finally withdrew his hand. "It's gonna be okay."

Seeming genuinely relieved, if only for the moment, Hiroshi nodded to him. "Yeah… yeah, you're right."

Finally, his mind caught up, just in time to think of a distraction. "You know," he began, tacitly warning that he was about to change the subject, "I've been meaning to ask…"

Kite cocked his head curiously at the Wavemaster. "Huh?"

Dean hid a smile as the boy took the bait. "How's things with you-know-who?"

Kite blinked. "Who?"

Stolls grinned. "You know who."

"Oh," mumbled Kite. A second later his eyes widened. "Oh! Uh… ahm, heh heh…" he started, obviously flustered, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, heh…"

"C'mon, it's me," Dean urged. "Who am I gonna tell? You and Rose have been getting pretty cozy, I figure something's going on I'm not aware of." His grin relaxed. "So what's the word?"

"Well," Kite began – prompting the Wavemaster to wonder if that was his favorite word – "we've been going through fields and stuff, like we usually do… but lately it's just seemed more… fun." He smiled, somewhat sheepishly. "She's been really nice to me, more so than usual."

Stolls chuckled softly. "That's usually a good sign. Anything else?"

"Yeah… I told you her name, right?" Stolls nodded. "We figured it might be a good idea to know each other's names before we meet each other offline. We even exchanged pictures." Appearing to loosen up a little, Kite added, "We both thought it might help, just a little." A smiley face appeared at the end of the statement.

"Yeah, just a little," Stolls replied jokingly. "Well, that's cool, man. Glad to hear it's going so well. I envy you that. Here's hoping things go all right for you two this Saturday."

Kite looked away briefly, bashfully. "Heh heh… so what time are you going?"

"Around 4. Wouldn't miss this for the world." Thinking for a moment, he followed up with, "And no, that's not a pun."

The Twin Blade couldn't help but reply with another smiley, alongside a chuckle of his own. "All right. I'll see you there, then!"

"Count on it," said Dean confidently. "I gotta be there for the happy ending."

"Happy ending?" asked Kite, peering quizzically at the detective's avatar.

Stolls grinned slowly, turning away. "I've said too much."

* * *

News: Final Night of Cyber-Terrorism Conference Commences 

With a symposium on modern network security, Cyber Connect commanded the start of the final meeting of the Global Cyber-Terrorism Conference. The event was almost overshadowed by the start of the Annual Global Tech Expo, which opened today at the convention center less than three blocks away.

Vice President Takahashi, who will be delivering the keynote speech later tonight, mentioned that he was "extremely pleased" with the overall progress of the conference. Takahashi was reluctant to comment on the recent attempted theft on the part of Asara CEO Rosenberg. "The incident was deeply regrettable," said Takahashi, "but neither President Hakamura nor myself holds the company responsible for Mr. Rosenberg's actions. Their representatives are still as welcome as any at the conference."

Hakamura's office declined to comment. Meanwhile, police continue the hunt for fugitives Felix Croker and Sato, believed to be key figures in the theft.

* * *

He was nervous as he rang the doorbell, more than he knew he should have been. 

It was far from the first time he'd been on a date, and more to the point it wasn't even a date in the traditional sense. There would be no dinner, no movie, and the evening was in no way guaranteed to be relaxed and enjoyable. Even if nothing dangerous happened, a tech fair was hardly highest on his list of romantic destinations, and furthermore he wasn't even sure where he stood with her. Maybe that's why he was nervous.

(Or maybe you just like her and want her to like you, genius.)

Unconsciously, Dean ran a hand through his hair, freshly cut and neatly brushed back, short and shiny in the porch light. He adjusted his dark blue button-down shirt, and started to brush a piece of lint off his tan trousers when he heard footsteps from inside the house. He slid his hands into his brown leather jacket, trying to look as calm as possible as the door opened.

"Hello, Dean," said Miku with a smile.

"Heya, Miku," Dean replied, smiling back. "Ready to go?" he asked, eyeing her up and down. Her outfit was not unlike his; simple, nothing fancy, but a couple steps above casual, consisting of a forest green sweater and a nice black pants. He spied a necklace, which disappeared under the collar of her sweater; his gaze moved upward, examining her smooth, narrow face, warm brown eyes and silken black hair, as his nose detected the faintest hint of lilac.

She withstood his visual assault admirably, even shifting a little under his gaze, perhaps in modesty. "Mm-hmm," she answered. "After you, detective."

Dean turned towards the path back to the driveway, looking over his shoulder as Miku stepped out and locked up, her shoes clacking on the porch. "You look nice," he commented when she joined him, following him to the car.

"Thank you." Somewhat slyly, she replied, "you're not so bad yourself tonight."

"Heh heh, thanks. I try. Now c'mon, let's go see what this fair is all about."

* * *

"Copy that, dispatch. No activity on the south end. Over." 

Masamoto released the button on his walkie-talkie and set it on the table, glancing back at his assigned partner, a uniformed policeman half his age – one of the other two occupants of the security post, which overlooked through a tinted glass window the floor of the conference hall. A security guard sat before a bank of TV monitors, each hooked up to one of the many cameras that dotted the building.

"Anything from the lookout at Cyber Connect?" asked the lieutenant.

"All's quiet," the officer said. "Our spotter said most of the staff has left the building, save for the president and a few other executives. There's also a skeleton crew of guards."

Masamoto nodded. "Tell them to stay alert. Everyone who's anyone at Cyber Connect is going to be either here, at the expo, or at the office."

"Are you sure about that, sir?"

He gave a sidelong glance at the window, staring at his wrinkled face, partially reflected in the glass. "I hope so."

The radio crackled to life. "Post north to post south, come in, over."

Snatching it off the table, Masamoto punched the talk button. "Go ahead, post north, over."

"Takahashi's limousine has arrived, lieutenant. He's on his way in, entrance A3, over."

A glance at the clock told him the time: 4:13. "Is he accompanied? Over."

"Affirmative. He's with his secretary, two aides, and a bodyguard. They all check out. Over."

Masamoto let out a short sigh. "So far, so good. Make sure the chief knows he's arrived, and contact our liaison with the security here, have his men double-check the back rooms and basement. I want to make absolutely sure nobody has entered this building without our knowledge. Over."

"Roger that, lieutenant. Post north out."

Aniki wandered over to the camera monitors, and idly stared through the nearest one. (Your move, Mr. Croker.)

* * *

"Have fun, boys! See you at nine!" 

Hiroshi waved back at his mother. "See ya, mom!" he called before closing the passenger-side door. A second slam followed Yasuhiko as he, too, stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him.

The two boys watched as the car pulled away from the curb, rounding a nearby corner and disappearing from sight. They then turned up the street and started walking, headed towards the crowd of people clustered near the entrance to the convention center.

"I still can't believe she let us go on our own," said Yasuhiko.

"I told her we'd be okay as long as we stayed in the building," explained Hiroshi. "There's police all over the place, I guess she figures if it's not safe there…"

"I see your point." A trace of humor entered the taller boy's voice. "Guess it's a good thing she didn't ask about your girlfriend, huh?"

"Hey, it's not like that!" Hiro protested, but quickly calmed down. "Well, uh… not yet, at least."

Yasuhiko laughed. "Not yet, huh? I'll try not to interrupt you two, then," he teased.

Hiro started to blush. "Oh, come on."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Seriously, though, you'll be fine." He grinned. "And she does like you, I know that much. Hell, everybody who knows you knows that."

Hiro's blush deepened, though he didn't seem to mind. "Is it that obvious?"

"Are you serious?" asked Yasu. His voice rose to a mock feminine pitch. "'Hey, Kite, I got you these gloves!' 'Thanks for the necklace you won for me, Kite!' 'Hey, Kite, let's go to that quiet secluded spot in Delta Root Town where couples go to make out!'"

"HEY!"

"Okay, so I made that last one up," said Yasu, "but I'm positive that'll happen sooner or later."

Hiro interrupted his friend. "Wait… I never said it didn't happen."

Yasuhiko stopped in his tracks, his eyes bugging out. "Wha?"

It was Hiroshi's turn to grin. "I'm kidding. C'mon, Yasu, you know me."

"I thought I did," said Yasu between chuckles, "but then I get back online and find out the shy guy I grew up with has made tons of friends and gone on cool adventures without me."

Hiro would have smilied if he could. "I couldn't let you have ALL the fun."

"Heh heh heh. Come on! I wanna meet this BlackRose myself, too."

Hiroshi fell into step next to Yasuhiko. (Me first,) he thought, mirth replaced with anxiety and anticipation as they neared the center, his mind already practicing his greeting.

(I can't wait to meet you, Akira.)

* * *

The rumbling of a car engine jarred him from the tiny television, jammed on the desk in one corner of the security booth. Sitting up straight, the guard glanced out the window at the approaching black Lexus, which was followed closely by a dark red SUV. The former rolled up to the gate leading into the underground lot, and the driver side window rolled down. 

Leaning partially out the window, a blonde man in his late 20's, clad in a security guard's uniform, passed a wallet containing an ID card. The face on the card was one the gate guard recognized.

"Afternoon, Cole."

"Howdy, Yoshi. The guy in the Range Rover's with me. How's it going?"

"Slow," said the guard. "Security's been tightened because of the conference and all. Are you going on duty?"

"Yeah, I'm on the late shift. Any news in particular?"

"The police put out an APB on some guy named Felix, along with – get this – Sato."

Cole raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Sato? Our Sato?"

"None other. Keep your eyes open on duty. The last thing Hakamura wants is ex-staff on the premises, and now that goes double for Sato."

The driver of the SUV honked its horn, and Cole responded with a disgusted glare. "Yeah, yeah. All right, I'll see you later, Yoshi."

The guard nodded and hit the buzzer, raising the gate. The two cars passed through unhindered, and the gate fell back into place as they entered the lot.

As soon as both he and the SUV were out of sight of the gate guard, Cole shifted to park and unbuckled his seat belt. He then reached into the back, pounding his fist on the seat three times. "All clear."

The seat fell forward, revealing a set of hands pushing it out. An elderly Japanese man in a trenchcoat crawled out from the trunk, into the back seat, groaning out his complaints. "Damn," he muttered, folding up the seat and stretching out his right leg. "So much for a warm welcome."

"I'll have my man secure the floor beforehand," said Cole. "He might show up before you're finished."

Sato grimaced. "I'm counting on it."

Cole returned to his seat and put the car in drive, giving the thumbs-up to the SUV still behind him. Together they rolled further into the parking lot, finding a pair of empty spaces and coming to rest in them. Cole killed the engine and stepped out with Sato, slamming their respective doors shut behind them.

A younger Asian man in a faded bomber jacket, khakis and black running shoes rounded the car, followed closely by Felix, clad in a blue windbreaker and jeans. The latter was humming softly to himself; the notes matched the chorus from Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

"Are you sure about this?" asked the Asian. "Using Cyber Connect HQ?"

"Relax Mako, I told you, it's virtually deserted," Cole assured him. "Besides, Sato and I have an asset on the inside. A little added insurance, just in case. Push comes to shove, she's harmless; the girl will be gone, and we'll have our pay."

"I still don't understand why we can't just break the disk and be done with it," Mako grumbled.

Felix stopped humming. "Because it's not that simple. If you'd listened when it was explained earlier, you'd know this." He looked at Sato. "Did you bring your toy?"

Sato pulled aside his trenchcoat, revealing a katana hanging from a sheath attached to his belt. "Of course. And the so-called Queen?"

Felix smiled. "She's in the back. Help me carry her?"

End of Chapter 35


	36. The Date

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached concepts/characters are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) I'll keep the intro short for this one. Suffice it to say, this has been a long time coming. Names are based on what little info I could scrounge up; I'm reasonably sure about BlackRose's real name, and a little less sure about others. Comments, critiques and et cetera are always appreciated. Enjoy :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Blue on Black

Chapter 36 – The Date

* * *

He spotted her standing near the main entrance, where she said she'd be waiting. He glanced at his watch to be sure. (5:30,) he thought, (right on time.) 

She bore startling resemblance to her picture, and even her avatar in the less obvious respects: chocolate brown hair down to her shoulder, comparable to that of her character if it were colored normally and obeyed the laws of gravity; slender and slight in figure, perhaps five and a half feet tall – an inch or two above his own height – and, he noted with some embarrassment, a not inconsiderable amount of 'resistance', though he made a concerted effort not to gauge this quality. Her deep brown eyes scanned the crowd by the entrance studiously, clearly looking for someone.

As he parted from the foot traffic entering and leaving the convention center, he took stock of her outfit: she wore an olive green jacket, zipper open in the front to reveal a dark red t-shirt; blue jeans and a pair of white tennis shoes that had clearly seen a lot of use. A brown-and-black backpack sat over her shoulders, though he could only guess at its contents.

Hiroshi smiled. Looking right, he nodded to Yasuhiko. "That's her," he said, anxiety and anticipation dueling inside, though he suppressed any visible notice of either. He had a million and one worries – how they would react upon seeing each other for the first time, how they would deal with the fact that she was two years his senior, just to name two – but none were about to keep him from approaching.

Together, the two boys approached the girl, and upon noticing Hiro she broke into a slow, but growing smile. "Hiro!" she called, waving them over. "There you are!"

"Akira, hi!" Hiro replied cheerfully as they neared, suppressing his worries, giving them time to return en masse. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," she replied, without any audible timidity, though there was a slight stiffness to her posture that suggested she wasn't yet entirely comfortable.

Hiro motioned to his friend, a convenient device to deflect the awkwardness even further. "This is Yasuhiko – Orca in the game."

Yasu bowed his head slightly to her as the two exchanged courteous 'hi's.

"Were you waiting here long?" Hiro asked.

"I just got here a few minutes ago myself," she replied. "This place is huge!"

Hiro and Yasu looked around, getting the layout of the convention center. Past the entrance they had just come through, a small lobby housed the information booths and a map of the building; beyond twin archways to the north was the floor of the center, where nearly a hundred displays by dozens of technology and entertainment firms crisscrossed this way and that. High above the floor, colorful banners hung down from the companionways beneath the domed ceiling, which also housed the powerful lights that were as bright as day itself.

Somewhere in this, Yasuhiko noticed they had fallen to awkward silence, and after studying the looks on both Hiro's and Akira's faces, he devised a plan of his own. "Well," he said, "I said I'd meet Balmung here too, so I'm gonna go find him."

Hiroshi looked at him, somewhat surprised. "Wha?" he grunted, feeling his chief source of confidence start to slip away. "But…"

"Ah, don't worry," said Yasu with a dismissive wave. "I'll catch you two later." Noting that Akira's gaze wasn't on him, he snuck a quick wink to his shorter friend. "Have fun!"

Hiroshi let out a short sigh, half surprised and half frustrated. He flushed slightly as he turned to face Akira without backup, and suddenly found himself tongue-tied.

* * *

She looked down at the young boy before her, a stark contrast to the one who had approached her; though not uncomfortable, per se, he was clearly unprepared for his friend to leave the two of them alone. Clad in a longsleeve brown shirt and black slacks, the former he picked at occasionally, he was not physically unlike his online self, although far less garish in dress. 

For her part, she wasn't holding up much better. Similarly stripped of courage by Yasuhiko's sudden exit, she found herself face-to-face with her friend and comrade, the boy she had partnered with time and again online to face all sorts of monstrosities, digital and otherwise. Without so much as seeing each other's face or knowing each other's name, the two had shared much; for her, more than she had shared with all but her closest friends, and she had a hunch the same could be said of him.

"So… you're Kite, huh?" she said finally, smiling somewhat sheepishly. Though not intimidated – he was 14 to her 16, after all – she was still quite self-conscious, careful of how she presented herself.

He met her eyes, if bashfully so. "Y-yup," he tried to sound casual. "And you're… BlackRose."

"Hmm," she murmured, nodding her head. (I guess it's easy to forget who we really are through all this… but still…) "Well… shall we?" she finally asked, gesturing towards one of the arches.

"Yeah, sure," said Hiro. "Let's go take a look around."

Side-by-side, they walked towards the arch, passing through it and into the convention proper, nearly being bulldozed as a group of six raced towards a nearby stall – which appeared to be demonstrating a beta version of some video game that had been converted from a cartoon.

Something about that caused Hiro to chuckle, but he wasn't sure what.

As they started across the floor, Akira abruptly asked, "So, how was your day today?"

Even she was puzzled by her choice of question, an obvious evasion of the even more obvious. Still, Hiro replied, "All right. Not a whole lot happened, mostly I just got ready for this. Uh, the expo," he quickly clarified.

"Yeah, me too," said Akira, suspecting he didn't really mean the event itself, so much as his reason for being there.

"We had to pick up Yasu; his parents are out tonight, so Mom volunteered."

She heard his words, though her mind was elsewhere. "How did you two meet, anyway? Were you always friends?"

Relaxing a little, Hiro fell into single-file behind her as a pair of men – helpfully wearing blue-and-yellow shirts that identified them as "event staff" – edged past them. "Well, I've known him since 2nd grade, when he and his family moved into the neighborhood."

The dialogue slowly grew more casual, although not more personal; perhaps their age difference, perhaps simply the unease of meeting someone for the first time, whatever the reason, both were unwilling to steer the topic towards the things they really wanted to talk about. She caught bits and pieces, some of which went unsaid; Hiro looking up to Yasu as kind of an older brother, his parents' sudden separation (which, she noted, Hiro couldn't clearly or comfortably discuss), their prior experiences with online gaming, and so on.

Everything except that which she wanted to ask him about: their online selves. She wanted to thank him. To be up front, to be honest, to remove the barrier between the world and The World.

Akira was only half-paying attention when Hiroshi launched into a retelling of how he met Yasuhiko, her mind still churning over the information she had been presented with. This was her partner, her friend, in many ways even her hero, and she couldn't breach the subject in any meaningful way.

"…so anyway, then there was crash, and we all ran outside…"

There was something in his voice. She knew there was more he wanted to say, and it wasn't about the baseball that came flying through his kitchen window. The girl sighed quietly. (Just a couple days ago we were laughing and having fun… I kissed him on the cheek, even, and now… now we can't even talk about it.)

Hiro caught her sigh. "Um… is… is everything all right?"

"Huh?" She looked over at him, blushing slightly. "Oh… oh, yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. I just…" she trailed off, and they stopped walking, causing some close-following couple to have to circle around them.

Hiroshi looked up at her expectantly. "Just…" he began, his lips quickly freezing in place as they refused to form words. She had an idea what he was trying to say, stymied by shyness that seemed to be mutual.

Akira took a long pull of air through her nose, and released it slowly. "Ah, I…" she began, looking away somewhat sheepishly. "I never really got a chance to…" (Oh, come on, Akira, just spit it out!) "…to thank you."

"What for?" he asked.

"For…" she lightly kicked at the floor with one of her feet, tennis shoe scraping across the heavily worn red carpet. "For everything, really." She noticed as he started to flush again, and felt a similar heat rise in her own cheeks. "I mean… even from the start, you were always there to help me, and I… tonight I just wanted to thank you for all that, you know?"

"Akira," Hiro muttered. "I owe you just as much. You were there for me, too…" he seemed to be struggling, forcing the words out, an almost Herculean feat to defeat his own shyness. "Y-you… I mean, we're… partners, right?" His grin was shaky at first, but grew stable as she grinned back.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, taking some measure of control. "Yeah, we are." Her grin faded, but with it went some of her own hesitation. "I didn't know what to expect when I first logged on… all I knew is that it was responsible in some way. And I had to do what I could to fix it… to help Kazu get better."

She sighed again, looked away, those words opening a floodgate within, paving the way for the rest to follow. "I didn't know if anyone would believe me. Not my parents, my friends… nobody. But you were willing to help. You stood by me through it all, and I… I can't thank you enough, Hiro. I'm… I'm really glad I met you." She inhaled deeply. "I never would have gotten anywhere without you."

A part of her couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth. This was a boy she had just met; younger, shorter, and shyer than she, he hardly seemed the type that would fall readily into heroism, even reluctantly so. Yet if there was one thing 'The World' had taught her, it was something that now seemed painfully obvious; that much more lay beneath appearances.

She smiled. Such was certainly true of her 'new' friend. "I'm glad I met you, too," he replied. "I'm really glad… that I got to help you." He was quick to add, "and that you were able to help me, too."

A hint of a certain Heavy Blade's personality drifted into her smile. "Well, someone had to. You couldn't very well have fought the phases by yourself, could you?"

He seemed to loosen up, and at that so did she. "Heh heh… no, I couldn't."

The two shared a quiet laugh, slowly becoming aware of the convention around them again.

"Well," said Akira after a few seconds. "Shall we continue?"

"Let's," answered Hiro.

* * *

His worries and anxieties abated, if temporarily so, Hiro couldn't stop himself from smiling as he walked alongside Akira. 

Her confession, of sorts, had been a big boost to his confidence, reminding him that they were still who they had always been – not Kite and BlackRose, but two players, two people, just trying to get to the bottom of a mystery. Though she had told him, in words that left little to interpretation, how she had depended on him, he knew that just as often he had needed her.

Need. The word seemed strange to him, a curious way to define a relationship between two kids, much less two kids of different ages. Somehow it was something they had put aside in the game, where that difference was less obvious and that need more so. A reliable partner, a confidante, a friend… someone he liked, someone he cared for… maybe even someone, in the parlance of a detective he could mention, for whom a different l-word might apply.

The very thought made him blush, though not so much that he didn't notice Akira had stopped. He turned to her, and found that she'd wandered over to a nearby display, where a small crowd had gathered around a man testing some kind of virtual reality gear.

"Akira?" asked Hiroshi as he neared. "What's up?"

"Hmm? Oh! Sorry, I saw someone over here." She gestured to a woman, perhaps in her 30's, who stood next to a little girl that Hiro guessed was her daughter. Smiling, she introduced them. "These are the Kunisakis, they used to live next door to us." She then motioned to Hiro. "This is Hiroshi, a friend of mine."

"How do you do?" said the mother, smiling at Hiroshi, which he returned.

"I'm fine, thanks," he said, a small part of him dismayed that Akira had referred to him only as a friend – and another part of him blushing at the implication of that first part. "Nice to meet you."

"And you too," she replied. She glanced at the display, watching briefly as the man in the VR gear mimed holding a gun. To her child, she said, "Oh, we should probably go find your father and brother, I think they said they wanted to have dinner in the lounge here."

"All right," said the girl. "Bye, Akira! I'll email you later!"

Akira waved good-bye. "See you, Rena! Say hi to your brother for me!"

The Kunisakis waved as they departed, leaving Akira and Hiroshi to their own devices.

* * *

Within an hour, the two found themselves following suit, heading for the lounge on the north end of the center to grab a bite to eat. Along the way, they briefly ran into Yasuhiko, who claimed Balmung's player was in the bathroom before conveniently disappearing. 

As they approached the lounge, Akira saw a pair of uniformed police officers walk by, one of them speaking into a two-way radio. "Copy that, lieutenant," he said. "All clear here."

Something about that seemed to unsettle Hiroshi, and it didn't take much for Akira to guess that it had to do with real-world problems. Calling attention to his nervous expression, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

Hiro gulped. "Well, sort of… I guess I just don't know what to expect. I talked to Dean earlier, and… well, I don't know."

The lack of clarity in his response piqued her curiosity, if morbidly so. "What do you mean?" she asked as they arrived at the lounge, heading towards a nearby booth.

He groaned slightly as they sat down; Akira slung her backpack off her shoulders and gingerly set it down before taking a seat. "It's just what I've always worried about, kind of. Having something follow me from 'The World'."

"Something to deal with in the real world?" she asked.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah… it's like that time when we were fighting Delphi."

She unconsciously shivered. "I remember. When it found us, I… I was… I was scared. I didn't believe it at first, that this thing was really…"

"Yeah… me neither," he seemed to whisper. "I, uh… I ran away from my computer… I didn't know what to do, what to think…" he swallowed. "It was all too much."

She shook her head. "This whole thing… this whole thing is too much."

A yelp and a shatter of glass called everyone's attention to a waitress, who hastily apologized with a blushing face as she scurried to clean up the broken bits of glass and ice that now littered a small section of the floor.

The distraction ended, Hiro turned back to Akira. "Yeah… it makes you wonder, doesn't it…"

"If it'll ever be over," she finished for him.

She hung her head slightly, eyes drooping shut as a few bangs of hair spilled over her forehead. (Will it ever be over?) she wondered. (Will we ever be able to just play the game?) She knew it wasn't the first time the two had pondered such, but they weren't Kite and BlackRose in the real world.

They were just Hiro and Akira. Two kids. Two kids who wouldn't have gotten involved were it not for their own tragedies and problems. Two kids who had faced self-doubt time and again.

"But still…"

She looked up. "Hmm?"

Hiro was smiling, or starting to. "Still… if I had to do it all over again… I would."

Akira was initially caught off-guard, accustomed to being the one delivering the pick-me-ups. She'd heard that line dozens of times in movies and TV shows from multiple corners of the globe, and overused as it was, she had to admit it suited him. "Hmm hmm," she murmured, a nearly unheard chuckle. A cliché she saw coming, yet couldn't deny was good to hear. "You too?"

He nodded. "Me too."

She looked into his eyes, and saw a trace of the strength that she knew, that she found so endearing. Gentle, yet persistent. Kind, yet bold – where he needed to be, at least. "We just have to keep doing what we think is right, huh?" she asked, somewhat rhetorically. His words from her mouth prompted a memory, that time at the chapel.

Apparently, it had for him as well. "That's the only way to move forward," he said.

Akira smiled softly. "Then that's what we'll do."

The boy smiled back at her. "That's what we'll do."

(He's cute when he smiles,) she thought, a hint of girlish glee in her mental tone – seemingly against her will. A flush came to her cheeks as she remembered something important, something she'd wanted to give to him, something an email from a "concerned third party" – or so Dean had called himself in the email – had suggested to her in the form of a link to a reputable chocolatier.

"Say, Hiro," she began, fidgeting briefly. "There's… there's something I…" she frowned, mentally chastising herself for her inability to just come out and say it. "Oh, I'll just give it to you," she said in mock annoyance as she reached for her backpack.

"Y-yeah?" she heard Hiro mutter as she rifled through her belongings.

Her hand fell upon something solid, rectangular, and smooth; a small box which rattled and crinkled as it was moved. She drew it out, and was almost too preoccupied with speaking properly to see his eyes widen and a rush of color hit his cheeks, in what must have been the tenth time that night.

"I-I know what today is… you do too, right?" she said in a quiet voice, alien even to her. When he nodded slowly, she continued. "I, uh… I had some help finding a good deal online, and… I-I-I really wanted to thank you for everything, and…"

"Akira…"

Her own face felt like it was on fire. "I… I like you, Ki… uh, Hiro." She forced herself to look across the table at the boy opposite her, and slowly pushed the box out towards him.

The brief name flub didn't faze him in the least, or maybe it just didn't matter. He could only smile back as he gently took the box from her. "Thank you," he said in that same quiet tone of voice. "I… I like you too, Akira."

She tried to control her response, tried to keep cool and collected, and she suspected he was trying much the same. "Happy Valentine's Day, Hiro."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Akira."

* * *

He watched as the two made their way out of the lounge, and a broad grin crossed his lips as he saw the two link hands, if nervously so. He couldn't help but feel just a little bit jealous when he saw the box of chocolates wedged under the boy's free arm. 

"See something interesting?"

Chuckling, Dean turned back to his own companion. "Just the happy ending."

"Happy ending?" asked Miku, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Some guys get all the luck," he explained, smiling slyly.

"And what about you?"

"Well… some of us just get some of it."

End of Chapter 36


	37. Waiting for the Other Shoe

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.)

This chapter done to the tune of: Gavin Rossdale - Adrenaline

Chapter 37 – Waiting for the Other Shoe

* * *

"Few need me to remind them of the trials and tribulations that the past few years have brought us. We at Cyber Connect were so often at ground zero of these problems, the target of terrorists, hackers and viruses. Ours is an age where even one person with an agenda and a computer can teach us all a very harsh lesson." 

He stood at five foot eight, noticeably shorter than most of his peers on the panel. He was an even fifty years of age, topped with short brown hair that was just starting to gray at the roots. Wearing a black suit with gray pinstripes, a simple red tie, and with an expensive gold watch adorning his left wrist, Kyoya Takashi looked every bit the career corporate, a man who had worked his way up the company ladder and made his share of friends and enemies in the process. As he spoke, his cloudy brown eyes broke from the teleprompter and briefly scanned the audience, which consisted of business leaders, news people, programmers and other miscellaneous attendees.

"Our company has been at the forefront of innovation and security since that dreadful night five years ago, and we shall continue to do so. Governments, businesses, public institutions, and even entire countries can benefit from what we have to offer." He looked away from the teleprompter again, distracted by a flash of a camera. "And not only us. Our…" there was an almost imperceptible hesitation, "compatriots… in the private sector have done much to spur the growth of the industry, and usher in a newer, safer digital age."

"Everything we've done, we've done in the name of progress, to ensure that these problems never happen again, and their instigators do not go unpunished." His eyes hardened, hands tightening on the podium. "Lest we forget," he added, "the Pluto Kiss brought the Internet down for merely an hour, and the resulting chaos cost billions of dollars, and several lives. Were it longer…" he paused, sighing dramatically, "I shudder to think of the consequences."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement from the blurry, out-of-focus figure of his bodyguard; the moving of a hand to cover a hidden earpiece. Compared to Takahashi's booming baritone, the guard's reply to an unseen microphone was completely unnoticed. His exit off the stage, however, was not.

Without breaking stride, Takahashi said, "Though these… 'cyber-terrorists' strike from anonymity, they do not strike with impunity. Together, we can stop them, and stop them we shall." As his guard disappeared through a side door, out of the main chamber, he added, "To the very last."

* * *

Dean clucked his tongue in disdain at the nearby TV monitor that hung from the ceiling. (You believe this guy? Helba and the others damn near saved The World, and he's still blaming all their problems on hackers.) He leaned back against the wall, sliding one foot up off the floor. (Well, I suppose that's all he really can do. It's not like he can come right out and say "Hey, one of the key developers was completely insane, and all the others were gone, and oh, by the way, there's an artificial human being running around on our servers. Surprise!") 

He chuckled, but was distracted by the sound of a door being pushed open. He glanced right across the darkened hallway, which led to the restrooms and the phones, and spotted Miku leaving the women's room, heading towards him.

"Heya," he greeted her casually, standing up straight. "Shall we?"

She smiled. "Let's."

Together they strode down the hall, back onto the floor of the convention center. The bustle of the crowd assaulted the ears as bright lights and colorful displays took care of the eyes; Dean almost had to shield his, in contrast to the darkness of the hallway.

"So, Miku," he began as they followed the path around the side of the floor. "I've been meaning to ask you…" he stopped briefly, and started again with a stammer. "I, uh… I don't wanna suggest anything, but there's something I wanna know."

She gave a curious smirk. "I think you just repeated yourself there, Dean."

(Oh, so it's not 'detective' tonight, is it?) he thought, recalling how rarely she had actually used his name. "Yeah, probably," he replied as they walked. Taking a deep breath, he then said, "All right, I'll level with you. Lately, you seem… ah, how to put this… just, interested. Uh, in me, I mean." A few years or a few hours ago, he might have blushed, and he did still feel a slight heat in his cheeks, but this time he kept it in check.

There was a noticeable pause before she answered. "Mm-hmm."

He looked over at her, and she briefly returned the favor before looking straight ahead, somewhat coyly. "Well, you might say that," she finally said.

"Might you?" Dean retorted.

That throaty chuckle again, almost her signature. "Touche." She raised an eyebrow and looked at him again. "Perhaps I would say that as well."

Dean managed to keep his cool, although his face grew even warmer. "Is that so?"

She didn't immediately respond. It took him another six steps – halfway between the "Milestones in Interactive Entertainment" display and a grown man dressed as a familiar spiky-haired videogame hero – to realize that she wasn't following him. He turned in mid-step and found her looking down on the floor, her face unusually serious.

"You all right?" he instinctively asked, rejoining her.

She sighed, glanced up at him. "I… I think it about it still. How we met, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"That night… it was sheer luck that I wasn't even there at the time. They might have even seen me pulling up before they left."

Dean shook his head. "Ah, we all were kinda lucky that night, although I just wish we didn't have to trash your place in the process."

"No, that's not what I mean." She met his eyes again, and this time she didn't look away. "I… to be honest, even then I was a little… flattered, that you'd come after me like that. Even though it didn't quite work out that way." She managed a small laugh. "It seemed so strange at the time, someone I didn't even know going to that kind of risk."

The detective grinned. "Hey, everybody gets one."

"It still was a little new to me." Another sigh. "The only time someone has ever fought for me like that was… was in 'The World.' Fought to keep a player-killer… just some kid off my back while we were investigating some field." She lost herself for a moment, but quickly picked back up. "But it's more about you. I see you acting the same way for others. For Kite… and for Aura. It's…"

Dean tilted his head. "Yeah?"

She licked the back of her lips, and swallowed. "Brave."

His first reaction was modesty. "Me? C'mon…" he began, dismissing in jest to hide his disbelief.

Miku furrowed her brow. "I'm serious. You're… you're always willing to help someone out, whether it's a mystery, or just trying to help a boy meet a girl. I mean… you're not like someone out of the movies, some action hero or something. You fight when you have to, and you risk your life to help someone you don't even know."

It was Dean's turn to sigh. "No, I… I don't think I'd call it bravery so much as a guilty conscience. Uh, maybe it's because I never stopped thinking of myself as a cop and all, or maybe I just wanted to make up for what I did." He shrugged. "I'm no hero. I just couldn't walk away." (Just like Kite,) he thought ruefully.

A trace of a smile reappeared on Miku's lips. "I didn't say you were a hero. I just said you were brave."

Her voice was soft, her words genuine. In her eyes, he saw none of her typical guarded nature or secrecy; he detected none of her usual wordplay, subtlety, beating around the bush. His heart beat faster, just a little.

(Is it that simple?) he thought. (Because I'm a nice guy? Is that really it?)

(No, genius, it's because you've got guts. Damn, are you listening?)

"Brave, huh?" he parroted back to her.

She nodded slowly. "Among other things."

"Hmm." A smile slowly spread across his face. "Well, uh… th-thanks," he said shyly. With a little more confidence – and a noticeably faster pulse – he added, "That means a lot… to hear that."

Miku chuckled once more, moving to stand next to him. "And to think, I believed you a more typical tough guy when we first met."

Dean turned around, answering her laugh with one of his as they started walking again. "Hah! Yeah, I get that sometimes. It happens."

"Of course, I also thought you would be a little taller…"

He mock-winced. "Oohh, now that just cuts deep. You build a guy up, and then you tear him right back down." He made a grand show of staggering forward, clutching at an imaginary wound on his chest. "That hurts, Miku, that hurts right here. And here I was thinking of winning you a prize at the Counter-Strike tournament over there."

She shot him a questionable look. "How romantic of you," she said flatly.

"Well, I'd do Skee-Ball, but they don't have that here," he said with forced impudence, his grin showing through nonetheless. His act fell when he spotted a familiar face at tournament setup – a circular array of networked computers, with the point of view from a random player displayed on a 4-way television set in the middle. "Hel-loooo."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Mr. Kerrek himself," Dean answered. "C'mon, I've got an idea."

She followed at Dean's side as he approached the tournament, passing through a light crowd and heading for one player in particular – a fairly young-looking blonde man, dressed in a nice black suit. Miku crooked an eyebrow in surprise as she noticed a brunette in a fancy blue dress sitting at the computer to his left, also playing.

"Honey, look out!" cried the man, slamming his index finger down on his left mouse button. "Disarm the bomb, I'll keep 'em busy!"

"I'm trying!" she shouted back. "I keep getting hit, throw a grenade or something!"

It was all Dean could do not to burst out laughing. "Max, you didn't tell me your wife was into gaming!"

"Uh?" Max grunted, looking briefly over his shoulder. "Dean, is that you?"

"Eyes forward, man. I think your wife just gave you an order."

"Don't worry, I've got it under- DAMN IT!" His screen flashed red and his character's body fell over as machine gun fire tore him apart, and his wife wasn't far behind.

"Arrgh!" she growled, spinning in her chair and rising to stand on her heeled shoes. "I told you to use a grenade!"

"Rachel, I know how to play Counter-Strike, I've been doing it for years," Max replied, also standing up.

A haughty smirk appeared on his wife's face. "Yes, I know, because I got you INTO it. Remember?"

Max looked down, a little sheepishly. "Sure, lord that over me why don'tcha…"

"Well, sorry to interrupt," said Dean, "just wanted to say 'hi'."

Rachel turned to smile at him. "Ahh, so you are Dean, then." Her demeanor improved substantially, and she extended a hand out to him. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Dean smiled back, accepting her hand and giving it a gentle shake. "Likewise, Mrs. Kerrek. Max's told me a lot about you." Before she could give him a suspicious glance, he added, "All good things, don't worry."

Chuckling, Max joined the conversation. "Enjoying the event so far?" Noticing Miku, he added, "I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Max, and this is my wife Rachel."

Miku bowed her head slightly. "A pleasure to meet you both. I'm Miku Kurasawa."

Max nodded, and his eyes lit up suddenly. "Ahh… you're Miku, then. Heh heh." He grinned mischievously at Dean. "He's told me quite a bit about you, too! Very interesting things, I must say."

"Oh?" She tilted her head at the detective. "What kinds of things?"

"Ha ha, oh, nothing," Dean said quickly. "Just, y'know, the usual stuff…"

"I recall him saying he thought of you an awful lot…"

"Zzgt!" Dean gurgled, his eyes widening as he made a vague, sudden gesture with his hand. "Ah, heh…" he chuckled nervously, "ah, he's just making stuff up now."

"Is that so?" Miku asked, clearly amused.

Max continued unbidden. "And then there were those screenshots of her char…"

"GAH!" shrieked the detective. "I said… that was…" his face flushed as he struggled with words, made worse by the fact that now Miku and Rachel were openly laughing.

"And didn't you say something about a dream…"

(Time to go with the flow!) Dean cut him off, pointing a finger accusingly in Max's face. "Lies!" he bellowed in a formal, overdramatic tone. "You, sir, speak untruth! Untruth most foul!" Despite his embarrassment, even he was hard-pressed not to burst into laughter.

The two women were under no such restriction. Miku covered her mouth, vainly trying to stifle hers, while Rachel was a great deal more obvious. "Ohhh," sighed the latter as the laughter slowly died down. "You were right, Maxey, this is much more fun than dinner and a movie."

"See?" said Max. "I had a feeling this would be plenty entertain…"

"Excuse me, Mr. Stollis?"

Everybody turned to see a male police officer approaching Dean, a walkie-talkie in his hand. "Yeah?" said Dean. "What's up?"

"Ah, it is you," said the officer. "Good. Lieutenant Masamoto wanted us to find you. Just a moment." He brought the radio up to his mouth and pressed the talk button. "Floor seven to dispatch, come in. I've located Mr. Stollis, over."

"Copy that, floor seven. We're putting you through to the Lieutenant right away, over."

The radio died as the officer took his finger off the talk button; he held the device out for Dean. "He said it was important."

Exchanging looks with Max, Rachel and Miku, Dean took the walkie-talkie and held it close to his face, staring at it quizzically. (Wonder what's going on,) he thought, all trace of mirth gone in place of rising concern.

Masamoto's voice came through the radio loud and clear. "This is Masamoto, go ahead, over."

Dean hit the button and began speaking. "It's me, Masa. You rang?"

"Ah, good. Listen, something's come up. I need your help."

Chewing on his lip, Dean replied, "What can I do for ya?"

"Takahashi's bodyguard left his side during the speech. One of our spotters at Cyber Connect HQ spotted him heading into the parking garage."

Dean crooked an eyebrow. "Where's Takahashi?"

"Still here. Listen, this might be a shot in the dark, but I want you to follow that bodyguard. From what we know about the Vice President, the two almost never separate while on the clock."

"You want me to follow him into Cyber Connect?" Dean blurted out, causing Max to murmur something in surprise. "I mean… it sounds unusual, yeah, but… well, even so, how would I get in?"

"Do you still have the certificate I gave you earlier?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Show it to one of the guards at the building, ask to see Francis Moritsu – he's the head security official on duty tonight."

Dean groaned. "I don't know, Masa, this sounds like a shot in the dark."

He heard the lieutenant clear his throat. "It is a shot in the dark. But we've got this area secured, the convention center is secure… CC HQ is the only building we don't have direct access to, and I've been told that more cars have entered the lot than left it tonight. I think there's something going on there, but we can't move in without something more solid."

The detective closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath of air through his nose. "All right then," he said. "I'll look into it."

"Thank you. Be careful, and good hunting."

"Sure," Dean muttered, releasing the talk button and handing the radio back to the officer. "Thanks," he said before turning back to the group, who were all staring at him pensively.

"What was that all about?" asked Max.

He stared grimly at Max, and was interrupted by Miku before he could speak. "I know that look," she said. "You're going to do something risky again, aren't you?"

"God, I hope not," Dean said under his breath. Louder, he added, "I gotta go check on something. Sorry to cut this short." He bowed his head to Max and Rachel. "It was nice to meet you, Rachel; good to see you, Max."

Rachel nodded. "And you, Mr. Stollis. Good luck."

"Yeah, I'll need it," he said with a stilted laugh. He then looked at Miku. "Ah, heh… sorry 'bout this…"

She stopped him. "Don't be. I'm coming with you."

Dean was positive he had heard wrong. "Whaaa?"

"You're my ride home, remember?"

Recovering from his initial shock, Dean vigorously shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way. I don't have time to take you home, and I can't bring you with me. I don't know what's going to happen there, but I'm not putting you at risk, too."

Miku took a step forward, staring deep into his eyes. "I know you're not," she said with surprising softness. "That's why I want to come with."

That was the last thing he expected her to say, though he wasn't quick to show it. "But what if something happens?"

Her voice went from soft to hard in an instant. "Would you rather it happen to you alone?"

"I… I…"

"Come on. I heard you say you have to follow someone, and it sounds like they're not going to wait for you. Let's go."

The Kerreks watched, amused and confused, as Miku took Dean's hand and – somewhat aggressively – led him through the crowd, across the floor and towards the exit.

"What just happened?" asked Max.

"Isn't it obvious?" was Rachel's non-answer, smiling as the two disappeared into the crowd. "He can't say 'no' to her."

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir, we're closed for the night." 

Dean unfolded the slightly crumpled certificate – the one recognizing Dean as attached to the Tokyo police – and showed it to the guard, who was poking his head through the narrow opening in the glass doors; the only immediately visible entry into the massive Cyber Connect headquarters, which towered above them into the black sky.

"Police business," said Dean, the paper in his hand crinkling in the brisk, chilly wind. "We're here to speak with a Mr. Francis Moritsu."

The guard studied the certificate, and after reading a few choice lines his voice grew more respectful and courteous. "Of course. My apologies, sir. Come on in."

Dean and Miku entered the lobby of the building, allowing the guard to close and lock the door behind them. Though lit only by emergency lighting, the lobby was nonetheless rather bright, with plenty of mirrors and glass around to reflect what little light there was. Before them, a bored-looking security guard watched the monitors at the receptionist's desk, while two others chatted next to an unmarked metal door off in the corner.

"The elevators are right this way, sir," said the guard. "Hey, Taka," he motioned to the desk guard, "call Frank and tell him he has visitors."

Together, Dean and Miku were led to a row of elevators, where the guard punched the call button and then folded his hands behind his back, waiting patiently.

"So what are we to do?" Miku asked, adding "I mean, with Mr. Moritsu?" in an attempt to sound in character.

"Well," said Dean, "Plan A is we have a chat with this Moritsu character and see what we can find out about our man. Speaking of which," he turned to the guard, "have you noticed anything unusual tonight? Any visitors, anything like that?"

The guard shook his head. "None that we've noticed."

"Plan A, hmm," said Miku. "And what's Plan B? If there is one, of course."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Plan B is we improvise."

With a DING, the elevator reached the ground floor, and the three boarded it; the guard hit the button for the 10th floor. The doors closed, and the elevator quickly rose. Within seconds, the digital indicator had changed from L to the number 10, and the doors opened again.

"Huh?" muttered the guard. "That's odd, there should be a guard on duty here."

They stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor proper, looking around the maze of cubicles and offices, a single hallway along the back of the room stretching into darkness. "Erin!" the guard called. "Cole!"

No response.

Uneasiness worked its way up the small of Dean's back, causing him to shudder. Miku shared a similar reaction, and looked to him with questions in her eyes.

The detective answered by reaching beneath his jacket, where a holster held a concealed Glock 40 handgun. (Plan B it is.)

End of Chapter 37


	38. Know Thine Enemy

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) All I'll say is, y'all better be sitting down for this chapter. And no, I'm not trying to hype it up as something spectacular, I'm just saying it's a real pain trying to use a computer while standing up. I mean, you can if you want to, I'm not gonna stop you… just sayin' is all :)

This chapter done to the tune of: Rise of the Triad OST – Havana Smooth

Chapter 38 – Know Thine Enemy

* * *

He reached down and let his fingers brush the side of her face – rounded, smooth, and slick with sweat – and she instinctively jerked her head away, the tape over her mouth muffling her words of protest. The sudden motion jostled her long, dark hair slightly, just enough to notice the large welt on the side of her forehead – roughly the size of the pistol butt he had hit her with. 

"You were better-looking online," said Felix with a smirk. She shot him a look that would surely have killed him, if looks could. "Your highness," he added, mockingly.

She struggled against the chair for a moment, the handcuffs biting into her wrists and securing her arms firmly behind her.

"We shouldn't be bothering with her," said Mako with a scowl. "It's all about that stupid girl, anyway. The sooner we get rid of her, the better off we'll be."

"Settle, man," Felix replied, not taking his eyes off their prisoner. "She was in on the ground floor of the whole thing. Weren't you… Miss Takahashi. Oh, I'm sorry… Miss Minako. Sorry to hear about your…" he looked over at Sato, standing near the window, watching the city below. "Was it her third divorce?"

"Second."

"Mmmmmph!" she growled through shut lips.

Felix chuckled, and ruffled her hair before stepping towards the office door. "You're a capable hacker, Yumi, but it doesn't take a particularly good spy to know a bad one." He hid a scowl. "Scum-sucking little shits write a virus and do some virtual sleight of hand, they think they're master spies all of a sudden." He stopped before the door, turning back to Mako. "We're keeping her because her husband would like a few words with her. As soon as the body's gone, we can get rid of the disc, and her too. Aura's gone, we get paid, no muss, no fuss."

"And what about Dean?" asked Sato, almost eagerly.

"I can't say for sure he's on his way, but they're watching every move Takahashi makes. Him and his retinue."

"Retinue?" asked Mako, raising an eyebrow.

Felix gave a short chuckle. "Word of the day calendar. It means entourage, attendants, or in this case, bodyguards." There was a knock at the door, causing Felix to smile. "Just make sure you do your part if and when he does show up. I'd hate to have to rely on Cole's plan."

* * *

"Where did they go?" hissed the guard, hefting a flashlight from his belt and shining its light into the darkness of the office floor. "At least one of them should be near the elevator at all times." 

Dean gripped his gun firmly, the too-light weight of the weapon telling him what he already knew. (Just hope I don't have to fire it,) he idly thought. "Police reported seeing the Vice President's bodyguard entering the building. Are you sure you didn't see anything suspicious?"

He shook his head, causing a few strands of his spiky hair to bristle. "No. Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"One of the people involved is an insider here," Dean explained. "I couldn't be sure. Better call for backup."

"Right. Frank's office is down that hall, about five doors down," said the guard, pointing around the corner from the elevator. "I'll call for a team and wait for them here."

Miku frowned. "No, we should probably stay together. Just in case."

Dean nodded to her. "She's right. Talk while you walk. Let's go, Mr…" he leaned forward, squinting at the nameplate on the man's uniform, "Himaru."

"Takeshi," the guard said abruptly, with a short bow of his head.

"I'm Dean, that's Miku. Let's get a move on."

Together, the three rounded the corner of the elevator bank, passing empty cubicles and following the blue carpeting into a dark hallway, lit every so often by an emergency light. Unoccupied offices stared ominously at them as the guard spoke into his radio, in his native tongue.

Dean picked up a few words here and there; "missing," "request," and "search." He also heard the names of the two absent guards, along with Moritsu. He lost his focus on diction when he caught sight of Miku glancing around nervously.

"You all right?" he asked.

She mumbled something he only half-heard, and repeated herself more loudly. "I'm okay. Just nervous." She swallowed before explaining, "I never liked the dark."

Her words sparked a previously unconsidered thought in his mind; his eyes scanned the empty offices, shadows chased back by the dim lighting, but not far enough to play tricks on him, or to hide threats.

"Me neither," he quietly replied.

"Hai," said Takeshi into the radio. "Arigato gozaimasu." In English, he spoke to Dean and Miku. "They're on their way."

"Can't get here quick enough, as far as I'm concerned," said Dean. Two doors away, he spotted light shining through the windows of one of the offices. Needlessly, he asked, "That it?"

"That's his office."

Reaching the door, Takeshi knocked thrice, and waited for the "Come in!" before opening it.

Hinges creaked loudly as the door swung open, Takeshi leading the way into the brightly-lit office. Dean holstered his gun and took a quick appraisal of the room; token outdoor group picture on the wall, a small bookshelf next to the window, a photo of a young girl sharing space with the computer, a desk lamp, and a glass ashtray. The raised nameplate bore the owner's name: Francis Moritsu.

Behind the desk sat the man himself: middle-aged, blue-eyed and thin-faced, with hair short, sharp and gray. He wore a navy business suit, which didn't quite hide his otherwise slim body. A perfect example of a high-level administrator or paper pusher, yet the intensity with which he studied Dean made him uncomfortable, and the ashtray was the detective's first clue that the man had his share of stress. The lines on his face were the second.

"It's you," said Francis, shifting his stare from Dean to Miku, and back again. "Well, I'll be."

"This is…" Takeshi began.

"Detective Dean Stollis," Francis finished for him. "This… is unexpected."

"I wasn't counting on it myself… Lios."

Miku cocked her head at Dean. "Lios? This is him?"

"I never forget a name," said Dean, clenching and unclenching one of his hands. "Or a voice."

"And I never forget names on incident reports," Francis shot back, just as curtly. "Or in newspapers."

Dean rolled his eyes. "This from the guy in charge of CC's brute squad."

The security officer jerked his head back, confused. "Huh? What's your problem, anyway, Mr. Stollis?"

Takeshi spoke up. "Um, detective, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Mr. Moritsu?"

Making an effort to stow his discomfort, Dean cleared his throat. "All right. About a half hour ago, police watching this building spotted the Vice President's bodyguard on site, alone. I was asked to investigate, and just now we found out that the two guards on this floor have gone missing."

"What?" Francis rose from his seat. "What's going on?"

"I've called a security team to investigate, sir," Takeshi reassured him.

"We think they're doing the switch in here," Dean explained, stepping closer to the desk. "The cash for Aura."

"That's not possible," Francis said slowly. "How could they… why… why would Takahashi be involved in all this!"

"Maybe it's not him," Miku suggested. "They did only see his bodyguard enter the building, right?"

Francis sighed. "Maybe. In any case, we need to find them. I hate to say it, but you may be right, Mr. Stollis. I'd bet you a million that I know where, too." Before Dean could ask, he continued. "There are only two ways it can be done."

"What's that?"

"Get rid of Aura."

"I don't understand," said Miku. "Wasn't she knocked out?"

"Yes," said Francis, facing the window. "And no. Effectively, she… is comatose. Aura is a part of The World, now," he explained. "She can't actually be removed, at least not normally, but if made manifest – if concentrated in one particular area – she can be incapacitated."

"I spoke with one of their techs," said Dean. "He told us that they basically cut-and-pasted her onto a disc."

The elder man scoffed. "You can't just move AI. Harald made sure of that, hard-wired her to be impossible to simply duplicate or put somewhere else. But, she's still data. You can get her out of there – sort of. It would seem that in stealing her, trapping her on that disc, they…" he rolled his eyes. "I'm not one for things dramatic, but it's as if they stole her soul."

"Holy shit," murmured Dean.

Miku lightly touched a hand to her lips, obscuring her quiet gasp. "My god… why would they do that?"

"Hiding the evidence." Dean said. "Someone at CC wanted her gone, they needed Rosenberg to get the manpower and for the software they'd need to do it. Rosenberg said was going to get a copy of the AI; obviously, he didn't know that was impossible."

"You said there were only two ways to get rid of her," Miku began, turning to Francis. "What are these ways?"

"Part of Harald's programming ensured that she couldn't be simply deleted once awake and integrated into the game – which is one of the reasons Morganna had to corrupt her before she became conscious. One option is to destroy the source file – in this case, it would be all of 'The World'."

There was a lapse in conversation as the words sunk in. "Two…" Francis shuddered, "convince her to die."

"I don't understand…" Miku trailed off as she glanced at Dean, and then behind him. "Hey… where'd the guard go?"

Dean and Francis turned towards the door. Sure enough, Takeshi had vanished, and the resulting silence was just enough to hear a footstep.

"What the hell?" mumbled Francis. "Takeshi?"

A loud click, also timed between dialogue, sounded enough like the bolt of a gun being cocked to cause Dean's internal alarms to start blaring. Two options presented themselves to him, and he jumped all over the one that said 'don't give them the chance to start firing.'

His hand lashed out and snatched up the ashtray, and he charged the open door, hurling the glass dish through it mightily. Dean saw a shadow cross the doorway as whoever it was stepped back, ducking out of the way; the dish sailed into the far wall and cracked noisily, falling to the ground in three large chunks and several smaller pieces.

"Look out!" Dean hollered as he barreled into the hallway, which held enough light for him to notice the trenchcoat-wearing man bearing down on him. He instantly grappled with the still-startled assassin, one hand grasping his right hand, which was attached to a rather large pistol.

"Damn you!" grunted the assassin, struggling against Dean's grasp. Though taller than the detective, his build wasn't any better, and Dean quickly got the upper hand, slamming his weapon arm into the wall painfully and rocketing a knee into his abdomen.

Dean saw him start to counter with an elbow to the face, but not soon enough to avoid being hit; he staged backward, his hands still grasping the arm and coat of his assailant. Lashing out with another kick, his foot slammed hard on the man's knee, and a second slam of the hand against the wall forced the man to drop his gun.

He howled a curse in Japanese, prying himself away from Dean as the handgun tumbled to the detective's feet. He was about to dive for it when Dean drew his own weapon and pointed it square at the man's head.

"Get up," Dean ordered, kicking the fallen pistol backwards with the heel of his shoe, and taking a full step away from his prisoner.

"Dean, what's happening?" called Miku from the office.

"It's all right!" Dean shouted back. "I got him!"

"I don't believe this," sighed the assailant, rising to stand in the light of the office.

The detective recognized him instantly; the weathered face, the gray hair, the trenchcoat. "Sato."

The aged Japanese man acknowledged his name with a short nod, eyes closed. "Yes," he said simply, dryly.

"Start talking, man," said Dean. "Who are you? How do you fit into all this?"

Sato opened his eyes – brown, clear, sharp – and squinted at Dean. "I could just as easily ask you that." He scowled. "This isn't your fight, detective. It wasn't last time, and it's not this time."

"What fight!" Dean almost yelled. "What the hell are you talking about!"

Francis' voice came from the doorway. "Satori?"

Dean's brief glance at Francis was all the encouragement Sato needed. Dean saw a flash of movement and the glint of steel out the corner of his eye, and instinctively pulled the trigger of his gun.

Just before Sato's sword connected with the barrel of the Glock, Dean remembered it wasn't loaded.

"Ah!" the detective yelped as the gun was batted out of his hand. He barely had enough time to reel backwards as Sato slashed at him, the katana almost whistling as it whipped through the short hallway.

"Dean!" cried Miku, frozen in place in the office.

Dean's eyes zeroed in on the slightly curved blade, watching for Sato's next move as he backed off; focusing to the point where he didn't notice stepping on Sato's fallen gun until it was too late. He gave a startled gasp as the gun shifted unsteadily under his foot, and he spun around trying to right himself – exposing his back to Sato.

There was a sickening tearing sound, something sharp cutting through cloth and then flesh, just barely; Dean felt the tip of the blade scratch at his back, just deep enough to draw blood. It alarmed more than injured, but it also caused Dean to stumble forward and fall to the ground.

"Satori!"

A loud crunch caught Dean's attention, and, ignoring the pain in his back, he scrambled to his feet and turned to face the noise, in time to see Francis wind up for another punch at Sato. The elder of the two staggered briefly, long enough for Francis to slug him again with a hard left hook to the face.

Grunting painfully, Sato took a swing with his katana in his attacker's direction, forcing him back and giving the swordsman time to steady himself. Not quite enough time, however, to notice Dean stand up and charge back into the fray. He felt one of the American's powerful hands gripping his weapon arm, forcing it skyward, while the other busied itself with several punches to the gut.

Sato countered by grabbing Dean's throat, squeezing until he started to gasp and choke. His face started to turn purple as the detective brought his free hand up and started chopping hard at Sato's elbow, trying to dislodge him. Francis rejoined the fight by wrapping an arm around Sato's neck from behind, yanking him backwards.

The hallway was filled with the pained grunts of men as the three struggled, Sato losing his grasp on Dean and Francis trying to maintain his. The swordsman suddenly pitched right, giving a guttural cry as he dragged the two men with him into the glass window of a neighboring office. Their combined weight was enough to bust through the glass, and the three of them tumbled inward, shards of glass coating their bodies as they bounced off the desk and fell to the floor separately.

The air was wrenched from Dean's lungs as the corner of the desk jabbed hard into the side of his chest, and he gasped for air while struggling to stand, trying to move away from Sato. Frank wasn't much better, having hit his head on the desk; he now lay on the floor, conscious but dazed. Sato regained his balance quickly and started towards Dean; the detective noticed that he had a slight limp in his step.

"Rragh!" growled Sato as he started a series of hard, but graceful slashes at Dean, which he barely managed to dodge by backing away. He bumped into a bookshelf, running out of room; in the half-second it took Sato to close in on him, he reflexively raised an arm to shield himself as Sato swung, striking a long, jagged blow across Dean's forearm and causing him to howl in pain.

As he reeled back into the bookshelf, Dean's hand came upon a particularly thick volume, which he pulled out and chucked at Sato, who was reeling back to ram the katana through Dean's chest. The book caught him by surprise and bounced off his face, stunning him. Clutching his wound, Dean jumped forward into the opening Sato provided for him, and threw a side kick at Sato's waist; his foot landed with a satisfying smash, throwing Sato back several paces.

Click. "Stop!"

Both men did exactly that, turning to see Miku standing in the hallway, holding Sato's .45 pistol unsteadily in her hands, the barrel pointed squarely at Sato's chest.

Sato managed a weak, yet menacing grin, a few cuts from the glass marring his already wrinkled face. He spat out something in Japanese, and from Miku's reaction he gathered it wasn't complementary.

"Put… put it down!" she hesitantly ordered. "The sword, now!"

"You really gonna shoot me?" Sato challenged.

Dean looked at Miku, seeing that the gun was trembling in her hands. She looked back at him, unsure.

"Just keep it on him," Dean assured her. To Sato, he said, "I think you better put the knife down, Sato."

Sato's face went blank. He stared hard at Dean. "I can't. Not after what you did that night."

"What's your problem, man? What did I ever do to you?"

There was a low rumble from the man's throat. He raised the sword high and screamed, "Give me back my son!" before charging at Dean.

Bang.

Sato was blown clear across the desk as the bullet slammed into the side of his chest, drilling effortlessly through his flesh and vitals. His body slipped off the end of the desk and tumbled to the floor, twitching violently as all signs of life started to fade.

Francis slowly moved to his feet, swaying slightly, nursing his bruised forehead. Miku cautiously stepped over the broken glass, handgun pointed low and away from both men; her eyes were disturbingly distant, lips parted just a hair, breathing shallow and strained.

"Miku," said Dean, still cradling the cut along his arm. He released the wound, his hand warm with sweat and blood, and gently placed it on the barrel of the .45.

She met his eyes. "Dean," she whispered, her grip on the weapon going slack.

He gingerly took the pistol from her. "It's okay," he said softly. "Thanks."

"Ungh…" groaned Francis. "Damn it… Satori…"

Dean glanced over at Francis. "You know him?"

He nodded. "Satori used to be one of our guards. He quit that night you broke in." A sigh. "The night his son Shinji was killed."

Dean rounded the desk, looking pitifully at Sato's corpse. "He was Shinji's father?" he asked rhetorically, a pain not physical entering his voice.

"Yeah."

The detective gulped and sniffed loudly, but stopped when voices echoed from down the hall. "Takeshi! Mr. Moritsu! Is everything all right!"

"They're here," said Francis. Upon Dean's perplexed "Huh?", he explained, "I tripped the silent alarm under my desk. Relax, they're the good guys. C'mon."

Together, they filed into the hall, stepping into the glare of flashlights from a trio of security guards. "Mr. Moritsu, what happened? We heard a gunshot."

"We have intruders," said Francis. "Seal the building and call the police. Do it now!"

"Yes sir!" The lead guard motioned to the other two. "You, call the main office, tell them to close off all exits and send teams to sectors two, five and seven. You, get ahold of the police and tell them we have multiple intruders, armed and dangerous."

"And get an ambulance here, too," said Francis. "This man needs medical attention, and we have a body of one of the intruders here."

Before the guard could issue further orders, there was a loud crash across the main room, past the cubicles.

"Are they still here?" mused one of the guards.

"Let's check it out."

The five men spread out, working their way through the virtual maze of cubicles, Miku staying by the elevator doors. They came upon an office, and all of them jumped when another, louder, crash sounded from within.

Glancing in the window, the lead guard pointed to his eyes, and then held up one finger. Dean squinted into the office, which was dimly lit by the glow of the computer monitor; someone was silhouetted on the floor, struggling vigorously.

On a three count, two of the guards violently shoved the door open, shouting "Security! Nobody move!" – or so Dean guessed, as it was in Japanese. One of them hit the lights, revealing the figure as a woman bound to a chair, tape over her mouth and a bruise on her head.

Entering the office, Francis muttered, "Son of a bitch… help her up! Get those cuffs off her!"

Dean followed the last guard in. "What's going on? A hostage?"

Sitting her up, one of the guards gingerly peeled the tape from off her mouth. She whimpered painfully, her eyes squeezed shut. "You have to check the computer," she said breathlessly. "They were doing something to her."

"Her?" Dean asked. The woman's voiced sounded oddly familiar.

"Aura!" she exclaimed. "Check the computer!"

As the guards tried to free her, Dean rounded the desk, setting the handgun down and examining the terminal. The monitor showed a normal-looking desktop, with an open IM window in the corner.

"What is happening?" Dean read from the message box. "Why is it so dark?"

"Dean, what are you talking about?" Francis asked.

"There's a chat window open," said Dean. "Someone was… messaging this computer? Who's office is…" he trailed off as another line appeared.

"So cold. There's no one here. I can't move."

And then another.

"Please help me."

* * *

"Officer!" 

He saw the girl approaching through the crowd, greenish jacket, blue jeans, a frightened cast to her face. He saved her some of the trouble, working his way past a group of people to meet her. "Yes?" he asked. "What's the matter?"

She was trembling, which caused the hair on the back of the police officer's neck to stand on end. "They," she panted, "they took him."

His blood turned to ice. "Who? What's going on?"

"This… this guy, he came up to him," she stopped to gulp down a breath of air, "and said Dean wanted to see him by the lounge. He said he'd be right back, but when I went over there, he was gone! And then I saw that man, this guy in uniform…"

"Slow down, slow down!" said the officer. "He had a uniform on? What did he look like?"

"He was American, I think… kinda tall, blonde hair. But he took him, I saw it! They went into the stairwell, but he locked the door behind him!"

"Okay. Okay, stay calm." He pulled the radio off his belt. "What's his name? The kid?"

"Hiroshi. Hiroshi Nakosuke."

End of Chapter 38


	39. Keeping Score

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) I told y'all you should've been sitting for that last one! Uwee hee hee! Rest assured that genuine closure is coming. 3 chapters (after this) and counting!

This chapter done to the tune of: Shinedown – 45

Chapter 39 – Keeping Score

* * *

A soft sigh escaped his chest, a companion sound to the chatter around him. He heard the clicking of cameras, police conversations in both English and Japanese, radio static and heavy shoes tromping this way and that. None of it drew his attention away from the unfurling of bandages as a paramedic spun the roll around his arm over and over, slowly covering up the wound, which had already been numbed and disinfected. 

"You sure it'll be okay?" he asked the medic – a short man in his 30's, blue jumpsuit and wavy black hair.

He nodded in assurance. "Don't worry, it looks worse than it is. You were lucky, he didn't do much more than break the skin, although the muscle could still tear if you stress it too much. Just try not to lift anything heavy."

"And my back?" Dean shivered slightly, a faint draft coming from the vent on the wall behind him. He glanced downward at his bare torso, also decorated in white.

"The same. Your jacket, believe it or not, took some of the bite out of his swing."

His mind began calculating how much he might have saved in medical bills, versus how much the jacket was going to cost him. "Good to know," he said dryly.

"There," said the medic as he finished wrapping up Dean's arm. "You should be good to go."

"Thanks."

Dean stood up, leaving his perch on the desk as the medic gathered up his supplies and left the office. The detective retrieved his tattered t-shirt and long-sleeve from a nearby chair, putting on one and then the other. As he was buttoning up the shirt, a shadow crossed the door, pushed inwards by the bright lights of the hallway outside.

"How are you feeling?" a quiet female voice asked him.

He briefly pondered how long she'd been standing there. "I'll be okay," he said, adjusting his shirt, trying to ignore the long, bloodstained holes on the sleeve and back. He looked up at Miku. "Are you all right?"

She leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, shadows falling over her eyes. "I think so," she said, her voice unmistakably uncertain. "I can't believe it all goes back to that night you broke in here. And coming after you, of all people."

The detective tilted his head left, rubbing the side of his neck. "Felix and the others probably got him thinking I killed Shinji." He paused for a couple seconds. "What wouldn't a parent do for their kid?"

She said nothing, scratched at the corner of her lip, her wrist noticeably trembling.

Dean reached over and grabbed his jacket from the chair with his good arm, looping his index and middle finger under the collar and slinging it over his shoulder. He knew what was bothering her. "Hey. You did what you had to do. I know that doesn't make it any easier, but it was him or me."

"I-I know," she said, pushing away from the door as Dean joined her. "I didn't even think about it like that at the time, it's just…"

Managing a weary smile, Dean reached out and set his hand on her shoulder. "Really, you did all right. That guy would've gotten me if you hadn't been there. He might've gotten Frank, too."

She inhaled through the nose – just barely a sniff – and asked, "How… how did it feel for you? The first time you ever… you know…"

His smile disappeared, his hand slipped off. "Yeah, I know. I know how you feel; for a while afterwards, I couldn't stop thinking about it."

She watched him closely. "How did you deal with it?"

He shook his head. "Well, I didn't have time to when it happened. I had to make sure my partner was okay."

"Your partner?"

He nodded. "It was eight years ago, before he got promoted. He took a nine to the leg from some dealer that resisted arrest. Was about to shoot him again when I put two in his chest." He looked away. "I got on the radio, called for an ambulance. All I could think about was making sure he was okay." Facing Miku again, he added, "Afterwards… eventually it just stopped bothering me."

She blinked, puzzled. "Just like that?"

He shrugged. "Just like that. Ah, I don't wanna sound heartless or anything… it's just that I stopped thinking about it." With a sigh, he added, "Of course, later other things got on my mind…"

The way he trailed off told her what he was referring to. "I… I see."

"For what it's worth… I don't think any less of you because of what you had to do. Far as I'm concerned, you're still who you were when I picked you up tonight. Miku Kurasawa. BT." He took a breath, his delivery as serious as he could muster. "A rather attractive young lady who causes me no end of simultaneous grief and curiosity."

"Mmph… hmm hmm…" she couldn't quite stifle a chuckle, her lips starting to crack into a smile.

Dean relished this small victory. "Anyway, there'll be time to relax later. Let's go see what Miss Mystery has to say."

She nodded, stood aside as he stepped into the hallway, and followed close beside him. They walked in silence towards the main office room, the maze of cubicles that were abuzz with police activity. Entering one path through the cubicles, he nodded to a sentry who took notice of their arrival, giving the young cop a short (if improper, considering his hand) salute.

When she spoke again, it genuinely caught him off guard. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

Her voice bore a trace of her more common confidence. "Thank you."

He smiled. "She saves my life, and she's thanking me. I tell you, that just makes my day. All I need is a bottle of coke and a plate of nachos and I can call this the best day ever."

He'd had something wittier in mind, but that familiar soft laugh of hers set him at ease. (Thank you too,) he didn't have to say aloud.

* * *

"Dammit! Come on, work with me here!" Yumi snarled, frustrated as she typed out command after command. "What the hell did they DO to you!" 

"Try suspending the root program," urged Francis, pointing to a blinking line of text on the black screen. "There may be a backdoor through the code."

More clacking of keys. "Nothing! I've never seen code like this before!"

He gave a sidelong glance at the woman he had long known as Helba. Gone was any part of her cool, collected nature, replaced by something between panic and rage. Outside the office, a security guard spoke with a police officer, who was dutifully jotting all the details down.

(I still can't believe they haven't found them yet,) thought Francis. (This building isn't that big, they can't still be hiding in here. And if they're aren't, how the hell did they get past the police?)

His eyes returned to the text box in the corner of the screen, an instant message from Aura herself. Although his stony visage showed little response to the distraught ramblings, inside he felt his stomach churning.

Trying to get his mind off of the girl, he asked, "How did they find you, anyway? Dean said something about them rebuilding Delphi, or something like it."

"To an extent," she explained as she typed. "That… that Felix," she seemed to spit the name out, flinching as she did so, "infected my character, took control of me using it. Whatever he found out about me, apparently it was enough."

"All this time," said Francis, "and you knew? Did Takahashi know?"

She gave an annoyed sigh. "We split well before all this, but yes, he knew; it was through him that I met Harald and Emma."

"And didn't you ever stop to think about warning someone? Getting ahold of us, instead of hacking our network?"

Yumi stopped typing. "You mean like Tokuoka tried to do? I don't think so."

Francis grunted, almost amused. "Fair enough, I suppose." He looked up, hearing a voice he recognized. "Well, look who's back."

Dean stepped into the office, Miku in tow. "What've you got?"

Yumi resumed typing, though half-heartedly so. "It's what Mr. Moritsu suggested. They're killing her, the only way they can without destroying 'The World' in the process."

"How are they doing this?" asked Miku.

"Technically speaking," said Francis, looking back at the computer, "they used a very sophisticated containment program to transfer her behavior protocols onto a disc. From there, they've isolated the protocols to where they will exhaust every possible means of escape. Once it has settled on self-termination, the disc will upload these protocols onto 'The World', and Aura will cease to exist."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "I didn't quite follow all that. Are you saying they've trapped her on a disc and she's going to kill herself if we don't get her out of there?"

"Psychologically speaking," Francis continued, ignoring Dean's question, "they've taken Aura's mind, locked it in a small, dark cell, and are waiting for her to grow insane, so when she's returned to her body – to 'The World' – she'll want to die."

Dean's breaths came in short, shallow bursts. "Jesus Christ… can't we do anything to stop it?"

"The disc is here," said Yumi, "and I'm trying to break the encoding so she can be released, but… I don't know how they did it, but this thing is like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Maybe they're using the Delphi program to contain her?" Dean suggested.

Yumi shook her head. "No, this is something else entirely. It's like it was custom-made, just for her."

"My god," murmured Miku. "Is Aura… really going to die?"

"This wasn't the handoff," Dean said quietly. "They didn't need to make one. That's why Takahashi's bodyguard came here – what was his name, Sebastian?"

"Yeah, Sebastian Wainright," said Francis.

"Right. Anyway, they knew we'd come after him, so Felix could sic Sato on me, and they could set this thing in motion. Even if Sato failed, we'd be tied up here trying to save Aura and they could get away in the confusion."

"What about the police?" asked Francis. "Surely if they saw him coming in, they would notice vehicles trying to get away, wouldn't they?"

Dean lightly chewed on his tongue. "I don't know. Felix has done stakeouts before, he knows how they work. Leaving the same way they arrived would be too obvious, but Masamoto knows that. Or at least, he should have."

A pair of beeps came from the radio of the hall guard, who had since finished speaking with the police officer. He spoke into the radio, muttering something affirmative and turning to enter the office. "Excuse me, Mr. Moritsu. Mr. Stollis?"

Francis and Dean looked over at the man. "Yes?" they said at the same time.

"There's a lieutenant Masamoto down in the lobby, he's looking for you, sir." He nodded to Dean.

"Speak of the devil," he replied. "Maybe they found something."

"We'll stay here," said Francis, "and keep working on this. We've got to break the programming keeping her apart. I don't think we have much time."

* * *

"What do you mean, 'You don't know!' Well, find out! I don't care how!" 

As he neared, Dean witnessed a side of the lieutenant he'd never seen before; enraged, frustrated, clearly livid, yet with a look on his face that suggested concern and grief. Flanked by a pair of perplexed officers, Masamoto paced back and forth, shouting into a walkie-talkie, getting occasional curious glances from the few security guards milling about the lobby.

"I want to know where exactly you found it." He waved Dean and Miku over silently. "And then I want to know how they got out of here without their vehicles, and without being seen! Come on, Koji, get the lead out!"

"Rough night?" Dean asked innocently.

"We found your phone," Masamoto replied.

Dean blinked. "What?"

"Your cell phone. The one you taped to the bottom of the Range Rover?"

Miku gave him a weird look. "You did what?"

The detective had to think for a moment before his eyes widened in recollection. "Holy shit, it was still on there? I'd, uh… heh, I'd completely forgotten about it." To Miku, he explained, "I was trying to use it as kind of a cheap locator, in case we didn't learn anything from that Monroe guy we tracked down a few days back."

"Yeah, we know," said Masa. "The battery was dead. But, it apparently came off the vehicle somewhere on the east side of town. It wound up in a lost-and-found box of an apartment complex. Koji says the landlord claims someone brought it in off the street about a day ago. He charged up the battery, and whose name do you think popped up on it?"

Dean could only shuffle his feet and look at the floor sheepishly. "Heh. Can't believe it…"

Masamoto didn't so much as smirk. "We're trying to find out where exactly it was found. But Dean, there's something else you need to know."

"Wait, first, what's going on with Takahashi? Did you guys get ahold of him?"

"He wouldn't talk to us; technically we have nothing on him, we had to let him go. He went home for the night."

"I see. All right, what's up?"

It was Masamoto's turn to look away. "There's… no easy way for me to say this, Dean. We don't know how they got in or out, he must've had someone sneak into the expo, someone we weren't looking out for."

Dean felt a few traces of fear sneak into his nerves. "What happened?" he insisted.

The lieutenant gulped hard, not meeting Dean's eyes. "They grabbed him. They grabbed your friend Hiro."

Dean stopped breathing. "What?" he asked, almost whispering. His right arm fell to his side, the jacket over his shoulder following it, sliding off his fingers and to the floor.

Masamoto looked ashamed. "I'm sorry. Some girl claiming to be one of his friends reported seeing him with a man dressed like a cop, who claimed he knew you and you had something to tell him; this guy said Hiro would be right back, but when the girl went over there, they were gone. Then she saw them both enter a stairwell. The door was locked, and by the time security got it open…"

"No." The detective's left hand balled into a fist, his shoulders starting to shake. "No, no way… you… you can't be serious."

"I'm sorry," the elder officer repeated.

"N-no! This can't be happening!" he suddenly blurted out. "I… I-I-I told him it was gonna be okay! I… I… god damn it!" Twining his hands in his hair, squeezing the sides of his head, he shouted, "That… that cowardly little piece of shit! F-Felix… aaaaargh! God damn you!"

"Dean, easy!" Masamoto reached out to Dean. "Calm down! We are going to find him. We are going to rescue him, okay?"

"Dean," Miku murmured helplessly, watching as he started forward, almost walking through the lieutenant. She'd never seen him anywhere near as furious as he looked now, and still she pitied him, his battered form shivering with rage.

Masamoto put an arm across Dean's chest, forcing him back. "Dammit, Dean, settle down! I need you to work with me here, now! I can't beat this asshole without you!"

"Outta my way!" Dean shouted, trying to push past Masamoto, his features contorted into a hideous scowl. "I'm gonna find that sadistic little fuck and break every goddamn bone in his body! Let me go!"

The lieutenant forced himself into Dean's path. "That's exactly what he wants!" he challenged. "He wants to push your buttons so you go and do something stupid! Listen to me: this is not the movies. When the good guy goes nuts and goes out there alone to kill the bad guy, he only gets himself killed! You go out there, you will die, and so will he! Do you hear me?"

The American's head of steam started to wear off, Masamoto's logic penetrating his armor of hatred. "But, but…" he stammered, his struggle weakening. "I… shit…"

"Stay with me on this, Dean." Aniki looked him hard in the eye, loosening his grip. "We're gonna do this, you and me, we're gonna stop this guy. I need your help, but you need mine too. We're gonna get him back, okay? Are you with me?"

One final sigh signaled the end of Dean's bloodlust. "I… y-you're right, Masa, I… shit, I'm sorry. I just…" he stammered, ashamed; he dared not look the policeman in the eye.

"I know, I know," Masa assured Dean as he released him. "And it's okay. Listen. We have the girl in a squad car outside. She says she knows you. Why don't you go talk to her, see if you can't find out anything else before her parents get here, or at least reassure her."

Dean swallowed, forcing down a lump in his throat. "All right. But… wh-what about Hiro's mother? Have… have you called her yet?" His words were apprehensive, harried; anger had been replaced with anxiety.

"I just called her, she's on her way. I'll talk to her. Don't worry, I'll handle it." He patted Dean on the shoulder. "Just go talk to the girl. Okay?"

"Sure," said Dean. "Sure, uh…" he looked back at Miku, who was watching him with a strange mix of pity and wariness. "Can you… uh, will you…" he struggled for words, instructions, something to tell her, to show he was still in control.

She sensed his uncertainty. "I'll come with you," she answered, making the call for him; after his outburst, she wasn't about to let him out of her sight.

No thanks were necessary. He picked his jacket up off the floor and gave her a small nod. "L-let's go."

* * *

"Where did you say your parents would pick you up?" asked the officer from up front. "We'll have a man waiting there to get them to you." 

Sitting in the backseat of the police car, Akira rubbed her eyes for what had to have been the fiftieth time that night; eyes long since spent of tears, now simply red and dry. "S-south entrance," she said. "Just opposite the convenience store on the corner."

"All right. Don't worry, your friend will be just fine."

His words, well intentioned though they were, rang hollow in her ears. She remembered the words of the false cop, how neither was at the lounge when she went there; she remembered seeing the cop and Hiro near a door to a stairway, and saw the frightened look on his face when the man shoved him into it, closing and locking the door behind him before the boy could even shout for help.

In hindsight, she was surprised she had the presence of mind to go straight for a real police officer. In hindsight, she wondered if she would have been better off just shouting 'help' right then and there.

Akira sniffed loudly. Their fears had come true; the events surrounding 'The World' were no longer confined to it. The boy she had come to trust, to call partner, to like… and maybe even to more than like; he was gone, and there was nothing she could do but wait.

(BlackRose wouldn't just wait,) she told herself. (BlackRose would go after Kite. She would help him when he needed her… just like he helped her when she needed him.)

There was a tap on the window. The officer rolled his down, and another man's voice spoke up. "Masamoto sent us. We're here to talk to the girl, Akira."

She knew the voice. "Dean?" she asked, craning her neck to look out the window. Sure enough, the detective stood next to the car, clad in a leather jacket with a long tear on the back; he was accompanied by a woman in a green sweater, who bore no physical trace of injury but looked similarly disheveled.

The officer nodded to Dean, who then opened the rear door of the car and stepped around it, kneeling down next to Akira. The woman hovered over him, watching her surroundings carefully but staying notably close to Dean.

"Hi, Akira," he said, his voice compassionate, his eyes weary. "How are you feeling?"

The question seemed innocent, if ultimately pointless. Akira looked at him expectantly, moving over to make room. "How did it all happen?" she asked. "Why did they take him?"

Dean shook his head, sliding into the seat, leaving one foot in place to keep the door from closing. "I don't know. We're trying to find that out now." Turning slightly to her, he asked, "Do you remember anything in particular about this man? Did he… did he say anything, to you or Hiro?" The questions were analytical, though there was a pain behind the words.

"No… nothing besides what I told the others," she said, scrunching up her face as she forced herself to actively think about the event. He had seemed honest enough, and the lounge was far from a quiet spot. "It's not like he ran in and grabbed Hiro…" she murmured, "I mean, he wasn't… w-when I saw him, he wasn't struggling or anything. It didn't even look like he was… like they were taking him, until I saw the cop shove him."

Dean frowned. "He was just going with them?"

"Maybe he told something to Hiro," said Miku, herself trying not to think too hard about a scared, lonely young boy being held captive by dangerous men. It was all she could do not to remember – at least, not to remember too vividly – another young boy being held captive, a lifetime ago and a world away.

"Maybe," Dean said, shoulders sagging. "I…"

Akira swallowed quietly. "So what do we do now?"

He almost collapsed against the backseat. His eyes stared up through the roof of the car, at nothing in particular. "I don't know," he finally admitted, a tacit surrender to fate. "I just don't know."

She hung her head. "I just wish there was something I could do. I gave him the chocolates… we were having such a good time together…"

Dean wanted to say something. He wanted to tell her it was going to be okay again, and this time he wanted her to believe it, even though it was something he was having a hard time believing.

For the second time that night, Miku saved him. "There is something you can do," she said, leaning forward into the car to address Akira directly.

Akira peered up at Miku. "What do you mean?" she asked, a trace of hopefulness in her voice.

"Be there for him," Miku answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She started to look away, but Miku kept talking. "A while ago, there was… a friend of mine, who was having problems, online and offline." She spoke in slow, clear tones, soothing, her voice calming even to Dean, and maybe even to herself. "He… she had to go through many terrible things…" she pursed her lips, "things you can't imagine."

"But through it all, she always had friends she could count on." She stopped to inhale, breathing out as she continued. "They couldn't always be there to help her… sometimes she went to places they couldn't follow her into… but she kept going because she knew that they'd be there when she got back."

Akira nodded silently, staring up at Miku with eyes that shimmered.

Dean, listening to every word, spoke up in her stead. "You care for him, don't you, Akira?"

"Of course," she answered, earnestly yet with a hint of shyness.

With a nearly invisible smile, Miku picked up where she left off. "When he gets back – and he will get back – he'll want to play games again. He'll want to have friends, play around, have fun. He'll have a life again, you both will." She paused for emphasis. "You want to know how you can help him? Help him fill that life. Help him enjoy that life. Can you do that?"

Akira's eyes met with Miku's; warm, brown, piercing yet understanding. She was still too upset to be embarrassed, though a tiny part of her managed to be so regardless. After some hesitation, she said "I will," with just enough confidence to lift both of the adults' spirits.

Dean glanced at Miku, seeing something foreign in her expression. Foreign, yet kind. Almost motherly. "Good," he murmured, not really sure who or what he was talking to or about.

Akira closed her eyes for a second. "Can you find him? Is he really going to be okay?"

(What wouldn't a parent do for their kid?) His earlier words came back unbidden, something he hadn't thought twice about before. Forcing out his most confident smile, he said to Akira, "You better believe it."

To his surprise, she was able to smile back, albeit very faintly. "I'll try."

"Good."

Almost as an afterthought, she asked, "Oh… if… I mean, when you find him, can you tell him something for me?"

He nodded. "Sure, anything."

She met his eyes once more, this time with a glint of humor in them. "Tell him he owes me for the chocolates."

Dean chuckled. "I'll let him know."

* * *

"Hi, you've reached the Stollis residence. We're not here right now, please leave a message!" 

Beep. Nobody home. He planted his elbow on the desk, resting his head on the receiver.

"Hey dad, hey mom. It's Dean. I, uh… well, I thought you guys might be home, I… just wanted to talk."

He coughed. For a second, he thought he could taste blood.

"It's been kinda busy over here lately, sorry I haven't been keeping in touch more often. Heh… workin' hard, y'know? Well, trying to, anyway."

He sniffed, adjusting his hold on the phone. The chair squeaked slightly as he turned in place, hunching over a little.

"Listen, there's something I gotta take care of, I can't stay on too long. A buddy of mine needs help with something… something kinda serious."

Silence. A partial truth. Spin. No need to worry them.

"I just wanted to let you guys know… I, uh…"

Another sniff.

"I love you both. Very much. And I…"

He gulped, his throat contracting; a close observer may have noticed a gentle sob, a voice cracking as he tried desperately to keep composed.

"Ah, I… I-I really miss you guys."

A sigh. An unburdening, the weight off his shoulders, just a little bit. Just to let mom and dad know he was gonna go be the good guy.

"I g-gotta get going. I'll… call you later. Take care, okay?"

Click.

End of Chapter 39


	40. A Final Layer

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached concepts/characters are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Well folks, it seems like ol' Renfro can't count to save his life. Once and for all, there will be 21 chapters for Dean and 21 for Hiro – totaling 42. There will also be one epilogue, so ultimately it will be 43 chapters, all in all. Yes, I know, it's technically another extension, but fret not! The end is coming quite soon.

It's been a long haul for all of us, and for me sometimes it got downright painful to keep up with the work. Still, this is a labor of love in the very real sense, and I'd like to thank each and every one of you who read this story and decided to keep reading it; you're one of the reasons I've kept writing. Thank you, thank you for everything.

This chapter done to the tune of: Headhunter OST – Jack's Dream

Chapter 40 – A Final Layer

* * *

He could hear her breathing as he hung up. The office was just that quiet. 

"Are you okay?" Miku asked, taking a tentative step towards Dean.

"Yeah," he said, his voice dry and shaky. His hand was still on the phone, palm slick with sweat. He didn't look up as she neared, instead staring into the darkened computer monitor, which stared back at him emptily.

"You left so suddenly." More footsteps. Dean finally released the phone and looked at her, his face cast in a flat, tired expression. She saw hints of darker emotions in his eyes; despair, sadness, pain, all evidenced by what might have been tears starting to well up.

Sensing her gaze, Dean looked away for a moment, wiping his eyes clean. "Ah, I… I was just…" he clamped his lips shut, exhaling through his nose. "I was hoping to get ahold of 'em… mom or dad."

"They weren't there?" she guessed.

He shook his head. "I got the machine. Just as well, I mean… I don't know what I'd say to 'em anyway." Kneading his forehead with one of his hands, he added, "I just had to tell them something. Something, just in case."

She didn't have to ask what he meant. The thought sent a chill through her, along with traces of another feeling, something warmer that she wasn't ready to face. "Do you really think it'll come to that?" she asked in a small voice.

"It might," Dean said with a certain finality. "They got Hiro. I don't know how, but they did. I… I can't imagine how he's feeling right now, what they're doing to him." His voice started to shake again, and he swallowed loudly. "He, uh… his dad's stateside, they're, uh… they're separated and all. I was kinda looking after him, y'know? I wanted to make sure he'd be okay."

"This whole thing," he continued, "it's just too much to ask someone that young. I know he's a good guy, and he's… he's a hero, too, but he's still just some kid. Some guy who wanted his friend back." He sighed. "He deserves better than this. I kept telling him, he'd have a life after this was all over…" Dean trailed off for a second, and started a second train of thought. "And then there's Aura… another kid who lost her parents, sort of… held somewhere – god only knows where. Jesus, it's just too much."

His head fell slightly, a few of the longer locks of his hair falling over his forehead, one hand feebly clasping the end of the desk. Miku could hear him breathing; long, deep puffs of air, the kind one would take to calm a pounding heart or shattered nerves. She fought back the urge to cringe, and was struck by another wisp of that warm feeling, a feeling meant for one person in particular, though she still wasn't quite ready to address it.

Her hand touched his shoulder, and he exhaled, slowly and softly. "Miku, I…" he murmured, glancing up at her. "I don't know what to do."

She was lost for words, staring pitifully at him. Defeated, battered and badly cut, the detective looked only a little better than the man she had shot to save him. That same mysterious emotion compelled her to say something – anything – to cheer him up, but she found nothing. Part of her chided herself for being bad with words when they were most needed.

Another part of her was too busy gazing into his dark brown eyes, and she could tell he was similarly preoccupied.

"Still…" he said, breaking the brief silence. "I gotta thank you again, Miku… for everything, I mean."

She drew her hand away from his shoulder. "What do you mean?" she asked rhetorically, wanting to hear what she suspected he meant.

"You've done a lot for me, you know," he said, his voice coming through clearer, his mind off the pain, the worry. "And you didn't have to. I-I know, Ryo and some of the others said you were kinda on the quiet side, and I respect that, I do…" he stopped to swallow again. "You really came through for me, though. And, I don't know exactly why… but I want you to know that I couldn't have gotten this far without you. No matter why you did it, I just wanted to thank you once more."

"Dean?" she said, half flattered and half perplexed by his change in tone.

"I don't what's gonna happen," he started, sniffing and looking away from her, "but no matter what…"

There was a subtle quiver in the words 'no matter what'; that chill came back, along with its companion emotion. "Stop," she whispered.

He met her eyes again. "Huh?"

"Stop talking like that," she clarified, now quite obviously an order.

"Wha… what do you mean?" he asked, craning his neck back to face her directly.

It was her turn to sound uncertain. "Like you're… going to die."

He inhaled sharply, recoiling. "Miku, I… I-I wasn't…" Speechlessness overtaking him, he rose to his feet, pushing back the swivel chair in the process.

Miku clenched and unclenched one of her hands, then the other. "Do you want to know why?" she asked, though not exactly as a question. "It's… it's…"

"What?"

She let out a low, grumbling noise of frustration. "It's because I like you," she finally blurted out. "At the start, I guess I was just interested in what you do." She watched him closely, hurriedly explaining to his look of confusion. "Despite it all – the kidnappings, the gunfights, the mysteries – I was interested. Or maybe even because of it all… the danger, excitement, it was all so… different." A bit of hesitation lined her words, her brow furrowing as she tried to form more of them. "But you weren't that different at all."

"You're a nice guy, Dean. You care about other people – even people you haven't met; you keep in touch with your parents, you worry about things…" she gave that soft chuckle of hers, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she visibly relaxed. "When Ryo first told me about you, I thought you'd be some kind of cliché hard-boiled detective type, like in an action movie or something, but the more I see you… the more I realize you're just a normal guy."

"You're like no man I've ever met, Dean… and yet, you are." Her smile grew, causing him to return the favor, his own demeanor lightening.

"You're an intriguing woman, Miku," he whispered back. He was almost oblivious to the fact that she'd taken a step closer. "Something about you…" he lifted a hand, gently running his fingertips along one of her cheeks.

Her head tilted slightly into his touch, her eyes still trained on him, her heart beating a little faster. She was surprised how smooth his hand was, and couldn't help but chuckle again when her nose detected the scent of lilac.

His face grew more serious. "I'm not going to die, Miku," he said softly. "I promise."

"You'd better not," she replied. "I'm not always going to be there to save you."

"Hah," he grunted, amused. "I'll keep that in mind." He smiled at her, his hand falling from her face, sliding down her arm.

Before he could take his hand off her, she took another step closer, bringing her body quite close to his. This action prompted him to slide his free hand around her waist, drawing her even closer. She relented, lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck, as his tightened around her back.

Pressed to his modest frame, she found herself staring into his eyes once more, the smile gone from his face but the feeling still there.

Dean inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of her hair, which bore remarkable resemblance to that of the hand lotion he was particular to. Her warm, slender body molded nicely against his, and he found his face nearing hers, tilting to one side expectantly.

She matched his move, stiffening briefly as her lips sought and met his in a tentative kiss. He gave a pleasurable sigh as the kiss gradually grew more intense, not yet lust but clearly more than like. She groaned into his lips as one of his hands stroked her back through her sweater, causing her to press herself even more firmly to him.

His eyes shut of their own accord as they continued to kiss, his hand moving further up her back to caress her hair, the silken strands lightly tickling his sensitive fingertips. He shivered in delight as one of her hands dropped from his shoulder and began rubbing up and down his arm, encouraging his own touches.

Less than a minute passed, though both felt it closer to five. Their lips parted with a wet smack, both panting heavily, faces flushed as they stared at each other.

"Dean," she said in a hushed voice, seeing a spark within his eyes she'd never noticed before.

He saw much the same, his body almost trembling. "I…" he said breathlessly. "Miku…"

A knock at the door startled both, though they didn't immediately release each other. Dean let one of his arms drop and turned to face the intruder, Miku doing likewise.

Francis stood in the doorway, looking slightly amused, a clipboard in hand. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked rhetorically.

Dean slowed his breathing, reluctantly letting go of Miku. "What's going on?"

The middle-aged security official stepped into the office, towards the desk. "There's something I think you should see."

"Wait, how's Aura doing?" Dean asked. "Did you make any progress?"

Francis frowned. "Helb… Yumi is still working on it, but it doesn't look good. She doesn't think we can free her before she opts for self-termination, at least not without the code."

Miku raised an eyebrow. "The code?"

"Some kind of contingency system," said Francis. "Perhaps in case they needed to access her before it was done. Problem is, it requires a unique code to do it, and it appears to be a combination of numbers and images." He shook his head, giving an aggravated sigh. "We can't just guess it, and there's too many combinations to try them all. She's trying to hack around it, but she said we should get to that code ASAP."

"Shit," muttered Dean. "And I'd bet you a million the only guys who have that wouldn't exactly part with it willingly."

"She thinks it's the insider. It has to be someone that knew about Aura, and someone familiar enough with our networks to tailor something like this for her."

"That can't be too many people," said Miku.

"Three, actually." Francis scoffed. "I'm one of them. The other two are the President and Vice-President, Yusuke Hakamura and Kyoya Takahashi."

Dean nodded. "Everything we've got so far points to Takahashi. Wasn't he the one responsible for those purges? Supposedly he fired a lot of the design staff for 'The World,' everybody that knew about the AIs and stuff?"

"Basically," said Francis, "although that's not exactly unprecedented. We had pretty high turnover for most of the last decade."

"I see," Dean replied. "So, what's that?" he asked, gesturing to the clipboard.

Francis glanced down at the paper on the board. "Oh, right. Ahem. This whole thing with Sato got me thinking about that night; I didn't understand why he would come after you." He eyed Dean questioningly. "Not too many people know about it, but those that do know that Shinji was killed by those two goons."

The memories of that night came back en masse; sepia-toned flashbacks of a loud pop and the breaking of glass, walking back into a bedroom and finding the body of a bespectacled Japanese man slumped over to one side, a large hole in his head and a flickering laser dot on the wall.

Dean gave a small growl, which came out sounding more like an annoyed sigh. "Why did you send those men after us, that night? I mean… I know why, but why'd you have them kill Shinji?"

Francis flinched at the accusation, but continued without missing a beat. "That's just it. I didn't, and yet apparently I did."

Dean and Miku let out a simultaneous "huh?" The former asked "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"Whoever sent those men out was in charge of security for that night," he said, "which, when I'm not here, is whoever's highest in rank. I wasn't working that night, but when I looked at the records I found out that someone had signed me in. The orders to take you and your friends out…" he looked uneasy for a moment, shifting his balance, "were given in my name." He showed the clipboard to Dean, a printout of a timesheet, with Francis' name circled in pen. "I'm telling you, though, I wasn't there that night."

"How can that be?" Dean questioned. "I… I spoke to a man who claim… well, I asked if it was Lios, and he…" He faltered, the events in his mind triggering an alarm. "He… never actually said he was…"

"Someone… wanted them to think you were responsible?" Miku asked. "I don't understand…"

Dean lowered his gaze to the floor. "It was a CYA. In case anyone actually dug into that night, they'd find Frank here was calling the shots that night. Nobody did, though… Rosenberg and CC got away clean."

"So, whoever the insider is," Francis began, "they were able to sign me in, make Sato think you killed Shinji, and they're responsible for collaborating with Rosenberg to erase Aura."

Miku peered curiously at Francis. "Are you sure it can only be one of those two?"

He gave a challenging stare. "Trust me, I know. Nobody else with the clearance to access the logs and the know-how to cover up what happened also knows about Aura, and vice versa. The only people that leaves are the two heads of the company."

"I remember hearing they had to change the keynote speaker," said Miku. "The president had something personal to attend to, I think."

"Right," said Dean. "Takahashi was there, but his bodyguard left during the speech. So we can't count out either one just yet."

"Yumi claimed that the men were talking about her ex-husband – Takahashi," Francis remarked, "and apparently he was planning on stopping by, after they'd killed all of us, of course. She says they left when they heard the gunshot." With a frown, he added, "But, considering who she is, her word hardly counts as evidence."

"Why would they just leave her there, though?" Dean wondered aloud. "I'd be worried she could counter the programming."

Francis idly scratched his jaw. "I know, that puzzles me, too."

"So, it's all pointing to Takahashi, but there's no proof." Miku turned to Dean. "Why would they try so hard to get rid of Aura, anyway? We still don't know that, do we?"

Dean shrugged. "Everything I've learned about Aura suggests she knows something. Whoever it is, he wants her gone and all memory of her." He snapped his fingers. "Wait, wait! Is it possible for you guys to communicate with her? Is she still sending messages to that computer?"

"Last I checked. Why?"

"Ask her about Takahashi," he urged. "Ask her what she knows."

"Eh?" grunted Francis. "You really thing it could be that simple?"

"Never know 'till you try," Dean answered. "Everyone I've talked to says that she's basically like a human being – at least, she's that complex. Even you."

"I… suppose we could try," Francis said slowly. "Maybe it would even help her along, keep her from losing it until we can find that code."

"It's as good a plan as any." Dean faced Miku. "C'mon, let's go find Masamoto, see if we can't track down Felix and Hiro." To Francis, he said, "If you guys can find out who the insider is, we can get the code from them."

Francis nodded. "We'll do what we can."

* * *

"All right, I want two teams to check each hole, see if there's any evidence of activity in the past couple hours. And get those extra pictures out as soon as you can, add 'em to the APB." 

Dean heard a collective "Yes, sir!" – more or less, as it was in Japanese – from the small group of police officers, who promptly scattered from police car. The officer leading him, a youngish man named Koji, motioned to the Lieutenant, who stood near the hood of the car, holding some sort of schematic flat against it.

Police had cordoned off a small section of Cyber Connect's ground-level parking lot, using it as a mobile command post; uniformed men and women buzzed this way and that, a dull roar of chatter that was overpowered by nearby traffic. High above, the moon shone brilliantly, its glow aided by the lights of the many nearby office buildings, adding a light haze to the night sky.

Masamoto looked up in time to see Dean, Koji and Miku approach. He waved them over. "Dean! Just who I needed to see."

"Likewise," said Dean. "We've been working with CC security; we've determined that the only people who could've pulled this off are either Takahashi or Hakamura."

"The President and Vice-President?" Masamoto asked, incredulous. "Are you positive?"

"Yeah, they're trying to find out which of them it is. We think Aura has the evidence, they're looking into it right now."

"I see." Masamoto looked grim. "Anyway, we've found out how they were able to exit the building without being spotted."

"Really? How's that?"

Masamoto indicated the blueprint, pointing to one corner with his index finger. "There's a shaft here that feeds piping into the building from the sewer. A crawlspace into the subbasement leads into that shaft, and…" his finger drifted along a single white line, contrasting starkly with the blue of the paper. "There's a small tunnel that runs from the shaft to the sewers, but after a few yards it's too narrow for anybody to get through." His finger stopped about six inches up the line. "However, it does pass over a subway line here."

"They used the subway?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it looks that way. They left their vehicles behind, but not much in them. One of them was registered to Cole Evans, apparently he was one of the guards who was supposed to be on the floor with you." He released the blueprint, rolling it up into a tube. "We found the other guard in the bathroom – one Erin Todd – tied up and knocked out. She didn't see who hit her, but she did say that Cole vanished in mid-shift and she was looking for him when she was attacked. No sign of Cole, though."

"He might be in on it." Dean folded his arms over his chest. "There was another one – Takeshi Himaru – he disappeared just before Sato attacked."

"Right," said Aniki. "It was the same for him; his car was in the lot, but he's nowhere to be found."

"So they're using the subway to get around." Dean rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That explains how they've been staying out of sight, at least."

"There's a subway exit near the convention center," Miku said helpfully. "That line runs under both the Expo and the conference."

"And there was one by Shikima, too," Dean added.

Masamoto nodded. "We're looking into similar exits in those buildings. And I think we've found their last hideout. That same subway line runs all the way to the east side, out in the same area where we found your phone."

An anxious look appeared on Dean's face. "Are you serious? Where is it, where are they hiding?"

"I'm waiting on a callback from two tenements on that street, we faxed over some photos a few minutes ago."

"Perfect," Dean said. "So, I guess we just… sit tight and wait for some answers."

* * *

He hiccupped noisily, trying to suppress them by holding his breath; his body shook, seated on the bed, alone in the spartan bedroom. The walls were plain white, the floor heavily-matted brown carpet. Apart from the door, the bed and himself, the room was featureless and empty. 

(What are they gonna do to me?) Hiroshi questioned silently. (What are they gonna do to her?)

The whole incident was etched in his mind; the blonde-haired man claiming to know Dean, the hushed conversation at the lounge, the words "Come with me or Aura dies." Being led to the stairs, into a small hatch in the subbasement, and through a maze of tunnels leading to a subway platform. He was tempted several times to cry out for help, to run, to offer some kind of resistance, but the phony officer's stern gaze and words of warning thoroughly dissuaded him.

It was all he could do not to burst into tears, and even trapped in an apartment bedroom he was reluctant to purge himself of his fears, his worries, his pain.

(C'mon, Hiro, keep it together. You know they're looking for you right now. Akira saw you, she had to have gone for help. Dean's out there, too. They'll find you. Don't worry!)

Another hiccup. His body wasn't buying it.

He wanted to check the time, but the man had taken all of his possessions, including his watch. Apart from that, however, Hiro hadn't been mistreated; somewhat to his surprise, he wasn't handcuffed, or blindfolded, bound or gagged in any way, restricted only by the locked door and the threat of Aura's death if he tried to raise an alarm.

(I don't even know if he's telling the truth or not… they might just kill her anyway.) He shivered. (And… and me… oh, how did this happen? Please, someone… tell me someone's coming!)

There were footsteps outside the room, followed by voices. "Is he here?"

The voice of his captor answered the newcomer. "Yeah, he's in the bedroom. Hasn't made a peep since, but he was cooperative."

"Good. Everything's as planned, then. Sebastian's getting the money and bringing it over right now. We'll just sit tight and keep a watch. Once we get it, we head to the airport and we're home free."

A third man's voice, mildly impatient. "And what do we do with the kid?"

The second man chuckled. "Nothing, unless my old partner shows up. They should still be dealing with our mess back at CC. If he does, however… well, I'll deal with that."

Hiroshi hiccupped again, choking back a sob. He couldn't even form thoughts, save for one.

(Hurry up, Dean… please. Please.)

End of Chapter 40


	41. Mistakes, Crimes and Sins

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this) Welp, this is what it all comes down to. Words will be spent, bullets will fly, men will fall, and other objects will do other dramatic things.

This chapter done to the tune of: Kill Hannah – Kennedy

Chapter 41 – Mistakes, Crimes and Sins

* * *

Yumi took a slow, controlled breath of air as she vigorously typed, watching the white letters appear in the black window before her. "Aura… please, stay with us. We're here." 

"But I don't see anyone. Where… where are you?"

It was just text, she told herself, but it was typed out slowly, painfully slowly. If it were a human hand typing the letters, Yumi had little doubt it would be shaking. Over her shoulder, Francis loomed darkly, muttering things to himself every so often.

"You'll see us soon. We're working to free you even now, but you have to help us," Yumi pleaded digitally. "Do you know who's doing this?"

"Who is… it is that man. The one, he took control of me. I saw… I saw him take another. Was it… was it you?"

The hacker cringed, for more than one reason. "Yes, that was me. I know how it felt. Someone IS coming, but you have to help us. Please… tell us what you know."

"Yes… yes, it was him, and there was another. A name. So many…"

Francis let out a small grunt, leaning towards the desk and propping himself up with one hand. "Ask if either Takahashi or Hakamura are involved."

Yumi complied silently. "Aura… do either the names 'Takahashi' or 'Hakamura' appear?" To Francis, she said, "Didn't Dean see the impostor that night? Can't we just show him a picture?"

"He broke in that night, shot at our guards." He smirked. "Not that he wasn't provoked, but his word won't hold on that. We need hard evidence, and I don't think any of the bad guys are going to give it to us."

"Point," she murmured, typing again. "Are you there?"

"Those names… yes, yes! They are familiar, I recognize one. I recognize… I… which one…"

"She knows something," Yumi parroted. "Come on, Aura, who was it?"

* * *

Dean watched absentmindedly as Masamoto spoke into a cell phone, the lieutenant's words indecipherable to him. Masa looked back at him dispassionately, though the way he was pacing told the detective there was something more underneath his expression. 

Joining him next to Masa's Buick, Miku asked, "Who's he talking to?" The tone of her voice suggested she was less interested in an answer than in breaking the silence.

Dean was privately grateful for the chance. "Guy who owns an apartment building, near where they found my phone. Masa had some pictures sent over, it looks like we might have a lead."

Masamoto kept talking, and the American picked up something along the lines of "Yes, I understand." He grew more excited; his pacing hastened.

"What's the plan?" She turned away, watching other officers scurry around the command post-slash-parking lot. "Once you find them, I mean?"

"Masa and I are gonna go look into it first, so we don't send everything we have on a bad lead." He leaned back against the car, his tattered leather jacket contrasting with the tan finish. "Also, they've got Hiro; going in noisy, sirens and all, that could… that…" he blinked, his brow twitching, "might not be a good idea."

She nodded, eyeing him with concern, saying nothing.

"Hai. Arigato." Masamoto hung up, shutting the phone off and turning to Dean. "We've got a live one. The owner says he saw someone earlier who matches Hiro's description; the kid came in with an American, or so he says. Let's check it out."

Dean promptly stood up straight. "All right, let's get a move on." He faced Miku, a slight look of unease in his eyes. "Uh, Miku…" he began, quickly fumbling with what to say.

She nodded again, this time looking away, her face unreadable. "Go ahead," she said quietly, "I'll call a cab."

He didn't immediately reply. After a moment's thought, he dug his car keys out of his pocket and held them out to her. "You remember where we parked?"

Miku looked first at the keys, and then at him, brief hints of doubt in her voice. "W-what… are you sure?" she asked as she reached for his offering.

He smiled, just a little, when her hand touched his. "I'll pick it up later," he said, as sincerely as he could, and he quickly shifted to a more casual tone. "G'won, get outta here. I'll see you later."

Brief annoyance flashed across her delicate features, but it faded away as she studied him. Gone was much of his earlier despair and frustration, replaced instead by weary, yet steadfast resolve and determination. He was battered, but compassionate; tired, but focused; scared, but stubborn.

Somehow, despite all doubts and worries, she knew he'd see this through. She gently clasped the ring of keys, her fingertips gliding over his palm. "You too," she replied evenly, trying not to sound too soft. He shot back a confident wink, and she couldn't help but chuckle, even as something inside got a little lighter.

A car door opened, and the Buick rocked on its wheels as Masamoto climbed inside. Brought back to the present, Dean clasped the door handle, giving a short wave to Miku with his other hand. "Take care, Miku."

She smiled as he opened the door and joined Masa inside. "You too," she repeated. As the door closed, and he was safely out of earshot, she added, "You'd better."

The engine coughed loudly, struggling to life; Masamoto stopped turning the key and shifted to drive, his foot still on the brake. Glancing at Dean, he launched right into the details. "It's about 20 minutes away," he said. "We have a positive ID on one of the suspects, and two other possibles, including Felix. The building's also only a block away from the nearest subway line."

"How's backup?" Dean asked.

Masamoto set foot on the gas, pulling away from the lot. "We've got our hands full canvassing the area here. Until we find the hostage or our men, you're it. Speaking of which, are you armed?"

Dean reached into his jacket, double-checking the safety on the handgun in the inside pocket. "I took Sato's gun. It's a .45, nine rounds left."

"What about your Glock 40? You still have that?"

"Yeah, but it's empty."

"Good. Take a look in the glove box." As Dean reached for it, he said, "And don't worry, it's my treat."

Puzzled, Dean flipped the ancient black knob on the compartment. The flap fell open, revealing the owner's manual, an insurance card, a flashlight and a single 9mm magazine in a clear plastic bag.

"Just in case," said Masamoto.

Dean swore he felt the Glock, stowed safely in another pocket, tremble in anticipation. His eyes gleamed as he picked up the bag. "Aww… how'd you know?"

The lieutenant smirked. "I had a hunch."

* * *

The aged landlord tapped one of his fingers on the nearest photo – a photo of one Cole Evans, still in his security guard's outfit. "Yeah, that's the guy," said the landlord. "He came in here with that kid. And this guy," he dragged his finger across the desk, tapping a mug shot of Felix, "I'm pretty sure I saw about an hour ago." 

"You're positive about all this?" asked Masamoto. "What about either of these two men?" He pushed forward two more pictures, one a Japanese man in the same uniform, and another of an American in a suit. "Have you seen either of them?"

"This one I haven't seen personally, but one of the clerks said this guy," he pointed to Takeshi's picture, "came in here the other day. He was with someone else, a tenant named Mako who had a problem with the water pressure in his apartment. The other one, though," he indicated Sebastian, "I'm positive I saw go up not fifteen minutes ago."

Dean looked knowingly at Masamoto. "That's five by my count."

Masa nodded grimly. "Those are our guys. Which apartment is this Mako staying in?"

"219."

"Good." Masamoto reached for the phone. "May I?"

The landlord nodded. "Of course."

Dean glanced over his shoulder absentmindedly, gazing out the window of the landlord's office into the lobby. He heard Masamoto start to speak with the emergency operator, issuing a few hurried commands in Japanese. The detective could only assume that his elder partner encouraged discretion in the process. As he gazed out the window, he saw a few people in the lobby: two men, one women; two entering, one leaving. He half expected Felix or one of the others to pop up at any moment, and was half disappointed when they didn't.

The phone clicked as the receiver was set down. Masamoto stood up. "They're on their way," he said. "Thank you for your time, sir. Mr. Stollis, shall we?"

Dean got out of his chair, feeling the guns in his pockets rattle nervously. "Let's go."

Politely excusing themselves, the two men stepped out of the office, into the brightly lit lobby. As they approached the bank of elevators, Dean asked, "How long until backup gets here?"

Masamoto's eyes went straight to a digital wall clock. "They've got units on patrol in this area, they'll be here in about five minutes. For now, we keep an eye on the elevators and stairs."

"Keep an eye on things," said Dean. "I can do that."

Just then, the elevator dinged merrily, its wood-finished doors creaking open. Its two occupants entered the lobby before Dean and Masamoto could get close to the elevators; they were not, however, far enough away to be unrecognizable.

Dean felt a chill run down his spine as he spotted the brown-haired, suit-clad bodyguard; before he could call out his name, Sebastian had seen him and frozen in place, and his Asian companion was not far behind.

"Shit, it's them!" cried Sebastian. "Takeshi, look out!"

"Hold it!" bellowed Masamoto. "Police!"

Within seconds, everyone had handguns drawn. Dean trained his .45 on Sebastian, while Masamoto kept his piece pointed squarely at Takeshi.

"Police! Drop your weapons!" Dean ordered. "Put 'em down, right now!"

"Oh, right, like hell I will!" Takeshi shot back. "We're walking out of here!"

"Where's Felix!" Masamoto growled. "Where's the kid!"

Sebastian took a step forward, keeping his gun aimed at Dean. "Get out of the way, Dean. You too, officer. Nobody's taking us to jail."

"Put your goddamn weapons down!" Dean's eyes grew wide, furious, though his hold on the gun remained steady. "Do it!"

Amidst their back-and-forth shouting, the cries of the few bystanders in the lobby could be heard as they scrambled madly away from the scene. The elevator bell rang out again, causing Dean's eyes to leave his target for a fraction of a second.

His sight went back to Sebastian just in time to see the bodyguard raise the gun to eye level, the barrel pointed squarely at Dean's head. The detective didn't have time to think; he hammered down the trigger and felt the gun convulse and explode.

The shot missed its mark, but it was disorienting enough to cause Sebastian to lose his aim; he fired back and put a bullet into the ceiling roughly 30 feet behind Dean. The detective was first to fire again, and Sebastian was not so lucky this time. With a mighty bang, the .45 spat out another bullet, slamming it deep into the bodyguard's chest. Another pull of the trigger sent a second bullet to join its brother, and with a painful grunt Sebastian crumpled to the ground, the gun tumbling from his hands.

At the first gunshot, Takeshi had sprung to his right, diving over a nearby sofa chair as he loosed a round in Masamoto's direction. The lieutenant was quick to return fire, but not quick enough; his bullet missed Takeshi's upper thigh by a few inches as he dove. Takeshi quickly took cover behind the chair, reaching up and firing blindly, forcing Masamoto to scramble away as he fired back, several bullets punching through the dark red obstruction, to little effect.

With Sebastian down, Dean turned to his left and saw Takeshi firing over the chair, the mighty explosions almost deafening in the confines of the lobby. Bits of cloth and padding were blown all over the place as bullets tore through and sailed around the chair; Dean blindly fired into the center of mass, hoping to strike Takeshi in some part of his body. One, two, three bullets stabbed brutally through; their attacker's hand fell back behind the chair, but a few clicking noises explained why. Sure enough, seconds later Takeshi popped up from behind the chair, taking aim at Dean.

Lacking cover, Dean managed a few awkward shots as he circled right, hoping to get to cover. Bullets sailed past him as he frantically pointed the .45 at Takeshi and fired, the Asian's exposed figure only half-clear to him. One more pull of the trigger expelled the last bullet, locking the bolt of the handgun back; the bullet slamming uselessly into the wall behind Takeshi.

Takeshi had momentarily ignored Masamoto, but the lieutenant didn't grant him the same. More shots from the left. One to the chest and then another to the head; the gunshots ceased as Takeshi fell over, dead and twitching.

"Jesus," hissed Dean, swallowing hard and catching his breath. He gave one look at the empty gun in his hands, and tossed it to the ground. "Mas, you okay?"

The lieutenant, similarly flustered, walked up to him as he slid a fresh magazine into his pistol. "I'm okay, how about you?"

Dean took a quick assessment of his person, briefly wondering if he would even have noticed being shot. His injuries from before still stung, but he was relieved to discover no new ones. "I'm all right," he said shakily, turning to Masamoto. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"They must have heard the shots," said Masa.

Dean nodded. "Then we can't wait for backup," he replied, taking the Glock out of his jacket. "Let's go!"

They made a dash for the stairs, Masamoto reaching it first and practically tearing the door off its hinges. He stormed into the stairwell, Dean following close behind. Their shoes clapped softly on the carpeted steps, matched by their labored breathing as they climbed to the next floor, the pale fluorescent light bathing the two of them in a sickly glow.

Masa stopped at the door, one hand on the knob. He glanced back at Dean, who gave him an affirmative nod. In one fluid motion the lieutenant twisted the knob, shoved the door open, and sprang into the hall, gun at the ready. His eyes scanned the hall with frantic caution, searching for any targets.

"Looks clear," he said. "219. Let's check it out."

Masamoto stepped into the hallway, and Dean followed, gently closing the stairway door behind him. The detective glanced at a nearby door: 206. Slowly they crept down the hall, both with pistols raised and ready to fire.

The door to room 209 opened, and a slightly chubby Japanese man poked his head out, muttering something to himself. Upon seeing Dean and Masamoto, his jaw dropped in shock and he slammed the door shut, exclaiming something in his native tongue.

"Dean," the lieutenant began, "watch where you shoot."

"I know," Dean replied gravely. (No room for error,) he thought. (Hang in there, Hiro, we're comin'.)

Seven more doors. Six. Five. The detective started to get nervous. (How could they not have heard us? These walls might as well be paper. They had to hear it!)

Four. Three. They tensed up as they heard footsteps, though local noise from other nearby apartments made their exact location difficult to ascertain. They were only two doors down from 219 by the time they noticed the door was slightly ajar.

"Masa," Dean whispered. "Look."

Both men kept their guns pointed at the door, expecting it to fly open and someone to jump out any second. The hall suddenly became deathly silent, and neither could hear anything from the room beyond the door.

"Either side," Masamoto said quietly. "It could be a trap."

Dean nodded, and got on the right side of the door. Masamoto took the left, carefully reaching around and pushing the door open.

He drew it back the second he heard a loud gunshot from inside, a cloud of buckshot sailing through the open door and into the one opposite 219. The pellets blasted into the door, blowing small pieces out of it without actually punching through.

"Haaaaaah!" a man shouted from the room, firing again and again, the telltale shuck-shuck of a shotgun being pumped between shots. Around them, some of the other tenants began to cry out in confusion and panic, their screams adding to the gunshots.

Dean dared to poke his head around the corner, just long enough to get a bead on the shooter. Cole fired at him from behind a flipped over table in the living room, chasing Dean back behind cover; the detective retaliated with a single blind shot, to little obvious effect.

"Cover me!" Cole shouted, and in his place a machine gun sprang to life, firing a short burst through the doorway.

"Shotgun's right down the hallway!" Dean yelled to Masamoto. "Taking cover behind a table!"

It was Aniki's turn to take a glance, and he caught sight of a dark-haired man poking his head around the corner leading to the bedroom. The shooter held an Uzi with one hand, his arm hugging the wall as he leaned out. Seeing Masamoto, he let loose another few rounds, causing the lieutenant to duck back.

"Can you see him!"

"Yeah, the guy with the SMG is on the right!" Masamoto turned to Dean. "We'll go in together!"

"Right, we'll cover each other!" Taking a deep breath, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hiro! Can you hear me!"

No response, save for another salvo of automatic gunfire. "Hiro, if you can hear me, if you can move, get down on the floor! Keep your head down!"

He almost choked when an all-too-familiar voice called out to him. "Dean! Dean, I'm in here!"

He threw a look to Masamoto, and with a nod the two took a couple blind shots into the apartment, being careful to aim high and away from the bedroom. Together they spun around and moved into the tiny foyer, leading with their weapons.

Cole popped up first, the length of his shotgun giving him away. Masamoto fired once, then Dean, both putting a bullet into the table and forcing him down. The SMG goon was next, leaning out of the narrow hallway and taking aim. He stared to fire, but his two targets were quicker, and he had to duck back.

"Run for it!" shouted Cole. "Out the window! Mako, come on!"

A familiar brown-haired man sprang from hiding behind a nearby counter. "Felix! Stop!" Dean shouted, raising his gun to shoot. He was distracted, however, when Cole raised his shotgun again.

"Dean, look out!" Masamoto shot three times, and one of his rounds hit the mark, punching into the shoulder. Cole squeezed off a round, but his aim was thrown off and the shotgun fired harmlessly into the kitchen. Dean followed up with two of his own, both landing into the man's chest and knocking him onto his back, as good as dead.

"He's down!" Dean shifted his aim from the table to the corner leading to the bedroom. "You're all alone, pal, give it up!"

The blistering chatter of the SMG drowned him out as bullets collided with the far wall. Bits of porcelain shattered and exploded outward as a stray bullet struck the table lamp, blasting it into a million pieces. Then, just as suddenly, the shooting stopped.

"Keep back!" Mako growled. "You come any closer, I'll wax you AND the kid!"

Dean cringed on the inside, but masked his disgust with a scoff. "Shoot your only hostage?" he challenged. "You're new at this, aren't you?"

There was a harsh banging, a door being kicked open, and Dean took a chance on looking around the corner. The detective's blood turned to ice when he saw the man aiming into the open bedroom, still facing down the short hall towards Dean.

Masamoto joined him in holding up the shooter. "Drop the gun!" he ordered.

"I'll do it, I swear!"

Dean swallowed, the back of his throat stinging. "Don't," he said. "Just put it down. It's over no matter what you do."

Mako stared daggers at the detective. "Why should I?"

Taking a deep breath, Dean answered slowly. "Because you don't come back from that."

"You really want to die just to spite us?" asked Masamoto. "C'mon, it's not worth it. Put it down and you can walk out of here."

Mako's arm, already trembling, slowly started to descend. His eyes still burned with anger, but his shoulders slumped in defeat. With a sigh, he dropped the gun at his feet and kicked it down the hall, raising his hands in surrender.

"Felix went out the window," said Dean.

Masamoto nodded. "Go ahead, I'll take care of things here."

Dean didn't need to be told twice. He bolted towards the window, seeing the black metal of the fire escape beyond; he climbed out, and noticed the flashing lights below. A squad car had parked at the end of the alley, blocking the only exit. Above, Dean heard loud clanking noises, and through the moonlight he saw Felix scrambling up the ladder and climbing off onto the roof.

The detective hastily pursued, climbing up the ladders as fast as he could. He ran out of breath somewhere around the 6th floor, but that didn't stop him. He had enough sense to slow down on the next landing, and as he climbed to the 8th floor he kept his eye – and gun – on the edge of the roof. Spotting no one, he stepped up onto the ledge and climbed over, scanning the darkened rooftop for any sign of Felix.

A shadow crossed his sight, running from him. Dean gave chase, taking care to maneuver around a nearly invisible ventilation duct. The shadow rounded the corner of the distant stairwell, and Dean doubled his pace, leading with his gun.

Dean crept around the stairwell – a smallish structure, locked tight – and saw the silhouette of Felix standing against the other end of the roof, looking out towards the nearest other building.

"Felix!" called Dean, taking aim. "Give it up, you've got nowhere to go!"

Felix cursed as he turned around. His hazel eyes, barely visible, stared long and hard at Dean, as if he could kill the detective simply by doing so. "God damn it," he muttered.

"Nothing fancy, Felix," said Dean. "Just come towards me, hands in the air, nice and slow. You know the drill."

"Yeah, yeah," Felix replied, obeying the instructions.

As he neared, Dean shook his head pitifully. "Why'd you do it, man?"

Felix raised an eyebrow, almost playfully. "What, exactly, are you referring to?"

Dean gave a frustrated sigh. "Why, man? You were a good cop, once."

"I was a good cop," said Felix flatly. "I had a good partner."

The detective winced, a familiar pain stinging deep in his chest. "So did I," he said sadly. "And then he became captain."

"You think there's a reason?" Felix asked, turning slightly to one side. "You think there's something that explains it all? Something that says 'Oh, that'd happen to anybody in his shoes'?" He scoffed. "Money. I wanted more of it. More than just some no-name LA cop could make." He eyed Dean knowingly. "I'm sure you can relate."

"Bullshit!" Dean challenged with a glare. "I got forced into your little deal. Yeah, I wanted the money, hell, who wouldn't? But that money was forced on me. You know that, Felix, and you know DAMN well I didn't turn anything over to Internal Affairs before they found me out."

Felix scowled. "And you expect me to believe that? Besides, what does it matter?"

"I want to know why," Dean pressed. "Why'd you drag Hiro into this? Why'd you cut a deal with Rosenberg, CC and the others? Why all this?" He stopped, catching his breath. "Is it really just about the money?"

"Getting rid of Aura, that was about the money," Felix confessed, his face blank. "Turning on Rosenberg, that was about the money. Getting to torment you, though," he smiled wickedly, "that was for the fun. And killing you… shit, I'd pay to do that."

Dean started to tremble, and not because the air was chilly. "You were my friend, man."

"I thought much the same," said Felix, the menace clear in his tone. "Even back in San Quentin, I tried to tell myself that. As you… remember, it didn't quite work out that way."

Dean remembered with picture-perfect clarity. The flash of steel as the improvised knife cut across his chest; the sickening crunch as the length of chain collided with one of his attackers' skulls; the feeling of several sweaty hands grabbing him, forcing the fighters apart; a panicked voice calling for a medic; his own hands stained with blood, some of it his.

"So, that's it?" Dean asked in disbelief, lowering his gun. "You act like I sold you out, and you go from that to trying to kill me? Is that really it?"

Felix shrugged. "It's like I told you, Dean… I needed money… 'cause I had none." He started to smirk. "And I fought the law… and the law…"

"Aw, can it," Dean interrupted. "You're coming with me. Let's see those hands."

"Time to play the good cop, huh?" Felix asked. He started to turn, his exact movements masked in the dim light. "Well, I guess if you gotta take me in, sergeant…"

"Hey, hold it!" ordered Dean. "Hold still!"

"Then that's what you gotta do."

Something glinted in the light of the moon, almost too briefly to be seen.

"Felix, stop!'

"Die, Stollis!"

Bang. Bang.

* * *

"Up here, let's go!" 

Masamoto grunted as he climbed the final ladder, and then hauled himself up over the ledge onto the roof. He was followed by two police officers, both brandishing flashlights as they joined him.

"Dean!" called Masamoto. "Dean!" Hearing no answer, he threw a look at the two officers. "Come on, this way."

They strode across the roof, flashlights swaying madly as they looked this way and that. Halfway to the other side, one of the officers caught sight of a man-shaped shadow, which was sitting down and leaning against the side of the stairwell.

"Over there!"

Masamoto hurried towards the shadow, panting as he ran. "Dean? Dean, talk to me! Are you okay?"

The shadow let out a weary groan; one of the cops shone a light into his eyes, and he cringed and looked away. "Ohhh… damn, man, watch the light."

"Dean!" Masa cried. "Are you all right? Where's Felix?"

The three officers gathered around the fallen Dean, and watched as he gestured vaguely to a body not five feet away. Felix lay curled up, his pistol several feet away, a bullet hole in his upper arm and an exit wound on his shoulder. He coughed loudly as the police turned their attention to him, raising his wounded arm weakly to shield his eyes.

"He was aiming for my head," said Dean. "I was aiming for his chest. We both missed."

End of Chapter 41


	42. Reason Enough

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this.) Well, this is it. The last of Dean's chapters. There's still one more to go – the epilogue, the big tamale. Just sit tight. There's just a wee bit more closure to go after this. Don't worry; it's the good stuff. Count on it.

This chapter done to the tune of: Oasis – Live Forever

Chapter 42 – Reason Enough

* * *

"How's Hiro doing?" asked Dean as the elevator doors opened. 

"He's a little shaken up, but he'll be okay," Masamoto answered. Together they stepped out into the lobby, assaulted by the chatter of police officers and paramedics. "We brought him down to the lobby, we're going to take him back to his mother. Dispatch says she's still at our mobile HQ."

As he looked up, the scene before him mirrored that of Cyber Connect just hours ago, albeit on a smaller scale. A detective interviewed the landlord near the office, and another officer took a statement from one of the few civilians that had stayed behind. Nearby, a photographer took a picture of a chalk outline, where Takeshi's body had fallen.

"I think I've seen enough of this to last a lifetime," Dean muttered.

Masamoto glanced down at Sebastian's outline, not five feet from where he stood. "That makes two of us."

"Is everybody else okay?"

Masamoto nodded. "Yeah. There was some collateral damage. Worst of it was from that damn machine gun, but fortunately nobody was hurt."

"Good," Dean sighed, "that's a load off."

"Dean!"

The boy's jubilant voice came from a far corner, where Hiroshi had been sitting, along with a previously unnoticed police officer. Hiro sprang up from the chair, breaking into a dash towards the detective.

Dean couldn't help but grin. "Hiro!" he cried, starting towards his younger friend. "Aw, man, are you all right?"

As they reached each other, Hiro surprised Dean by nearly tackling him in a firm embrace. His arms wrapped around Dean's back, and he buried his face into the older man's shoulder.

"Dean," he murmured. "I-I… I'm s-s-sorry…"

Initially caught off guard, Dean patted Hiro on the head, hugging him back with the other hand. Ignoring the slight pain from his cuts, he heard and felt the boy's quiet sobs, and was himself pushed to the brink of tears. "It's all right," he said back. "It's okay, man. You're gonna be fine now."

Hiroshi lifted his head up, staring at Dean through tear-filled eyes. "H-he said… they'd kill Aura if I didn't… didn't come with them." He then gulped hard, visibly shaking. "A-a-and… that guy, he…" another sniff, "he was gonna…"

Dean felt his throat tighten as his mind filled in the blanks, and he winced to choke back a sob of his own. "It's all right, Hiro… don't worry about it." He sniffed, and then added, "It's over, man, for real this time. I know… I know how it feels." Unconsciously, he tightened his hold on the boy. "Believe me, I know."

"I… I was scared…" Hiro murmured, trembling, "I really thought… I mean," he choked, "with the gun…"

"I know," Dean whispered, patting Hiro's back reassuringly. "I've been there too… it's scary, man, no shame in that." Gradually, he found his voice again. "But it didn't, and that's what matters. You're okay, man… everything's gonna be okay." Opting to change the topic, he continued. "We got 'em, man. Lios and Helba… they're getting Aura out right now. You and me, we stopped all this, man."

"She's gonna be okay?" he asked, his tone changing from fright to worry.

"Yeah… yeah, she'll be fine, man." Dean answered, releasing the boy. "There's a few people waiting to see you again… your mom, Yasu, Akira. You wanna go see 'em?" he asked, choking down his own tears and replacing them with a gentle smile.

"Y-yeah," Hiro muttered, doing his best to smile back. "I… I don't know how I'm gonna explain all this to mom…"

Dean shook his head. "Let me worry about that." Over his shoulder, he heard Masamoto talking, and quickly glanced to make sure the lieutenant wasn't talking to him. Spotting the elder cop with his cell phone out, he turned back to Hiro. "I told you before; you got a life to go back to after all this. Nobody and nothing is gonna take that from you."

Hiro managed to smile, and genuinely so. "Thanks… thanks, Dean." He swallowed. "Thank you… for everything."

The detective had to grin. "Hey, c'mon, you saved me too, remember? I figure we can call it even, what do you say?"

Hiro's own smile grew, and he impulsively stuck his hand out. "Deal."

Chuckling, Dean gripped the boy's hand firmly, giving it a good shake. "Good work, Hiro man."

"Yeah," Hiro replied, still somewhat shakily. "Y-you too, Dean."

An angry shout from Masamoto caught both their attentions. "What do you mean, 'he's gone'!"

Dean spun around, looking at Masamoto quizzically. "What's going on?"

Masa gave him a harried look. "It's Yumi. She says they found out it was Takahashi. His ID was tied to an email sent to Asara Corporation."

"So it was Takahashi," said Dean. "Who's gone, then?"

Masamoto frowned. "Francis. Yumi says he stormed off when he found out."

"Where'd he go?"

"Where do you think?"

* * *

Through the darkness, he heard two rather distinct noises. Above, a fan hummed quietly, gently churning the air in the study. The other noise came from the hallway outside, footsteps rapidly headed his way. 

"You can't come in here!" a woman yelled. "This is Mr. Takahashi's house!"

"I know he's here, and I know he's up," a man barked back at her. "I'm going to see him. Get out of my way!"

(So that's it, isn't it?) he thought to himself. (That's how this ends?)

"S-s-sir!" she cried. "He's here for you! He forced his way in!"

"Let him pass, Shizu!" he yelled. "I'm in here!"

A few seconds, a few more footsteps. The door to his study opened; he sat up, opened his eyes, and found himself face-to-face with a very livid Francis Moritsu.

Frank scowled at him. "Why'd you do it, Kyoya? Why set all this up? Was it all just to get rid of Aura?"

Takahashi stared blankly at the intruder. "Frank, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, cut the bullshit!" spat Francis. "I got your letter. The one you sent to Asara, the one that asked Rosenberg to help you get rid of a certain program buried in 'The World.' You knew how to get her out of there, you knew how to get rid everyone who could interfere, and it was your idea from the start. Why? Why go through all this just for Aura?"

"I have to explain?" Takahashi asked, amused. "She's illegal, for one. You think we could sell a product that had AI on it? AI capable of doing what her and Morganna did?"

"We could've solved that. Maybe if you hadn't cut everyone who knew a bout the damn things…"

"Two, she knew too much." The vice-president closed his eyes again, reclining in his chair. "She wasn't just a part of 'The World'; she had access to our mainframe, and everything on it. She was a security threat."

Francis' eyes blazed. "She's just a girl! I don't care what she knows, she's just a girl without her father, born into something even she didn't understand. We could've helped her. We could've stopped all this a long time ago if you'd just told us."

"Are you so sure?" Takahashi challenged. "Morganna nearly corrupted her; god only knows what would have happened then. And need I mention Pluto Again? Apart from that she wasn't supposed to be there, apart from her knowing too much," he glowered, "she was a goddamned time bomb waiting to go off. All it would take is someone with an agenda to get to her."

"Maybe if you hadn't locked her in a box," Francis growled, "we could've made sure none of that happened."

Kyoya sighed. "Maybe… maybe. Of course, she still knew an awful lot…"

"Like how it wasn't me that night? The night Dean broke in?"

He crooked a smile. "So you did find out about that."

Francis stared at him, his blue eyes meeting with the brown of Takahashi's. "You had Shinji killed, tried to have Dean and Mr. Kerrek killed, too. All to keep Delphi hidden."

"Tip of the iceberg," Takahashi replied. "Tip of the iceberg."

"But why?" Francis almost pleaded. "Kyoya, why? Is that all that mattered to you? Profit? Keeping these secrets of yours hidden?"

Takahashi gently shook his head. "It wasn't always like that, no…"

"Hiring hitmen… sending people to kill an AI… for god's sake, your men kidnapped some innocent kid tonight!" Francis exclaimed. "He could've been killed! You sent Sato after Dean because you knew he'd kill the man he thought killed his son, and all the time it was you! And now Aura's trapped on our servers, being tormented to the point where she'll kill herself!" His face grew red with anger. "How can you sleep at night! What the hell is the matter with you!"

Takahashi didn't immediately reply, giving Francis room to continue. "I don't care what kind of crap you were up to, what other secrets you have to hide. It's over now. Your men are dead or behind bars, and you're going to join them one way or another."

"You have evidence to back that?" Kyoya asked tersely. "As opposed to letters given to you by an AI that shouldn't even exist?"

To his surprise, Francis stood up straight, reaching into a pocket on the inside of his coat. The object he removed caused Takahashi to gasp.

"I think your words will suffice," said Francis, holding the tape recorder up.

"S-sir! Mr. Takahashi!" called Shizu from the hallway. "There's more!"

Sure enough, more footsteps came from down the hallway. Through the open doorway, a police officer in a tan coat entered the study, followed by a haggard-looking American in a tattered leather jacket. He recognized the latter immediately.

Dean smiked at Francis. "Thanks, Frank," he said. "That'll do."

Takahashi inhaled sharply, almost hissing. "You…"

"Hiya, Takahashi," Dean said flatly. "Francis here says you've been doing some bad things lately."

"Yeah, lucky we got ahold of him," said Masamoto. "If he got to you without us, you might have to have been carried out."

"Damn," grumbled Kyoya. "Damn you…"

"Aw, don't even," scoffed Dean. "You're the one hiring maniacs and criminals to kill and kidnap children. You tricked Sato into thinking I was responsible for Shinji's death. You're worse than Felix." He glared hard at him. "If I have any say in it, you're going to jail with him for the rest of your life."

"She was not just some child!" hollered Takahashi, rising to his feet. "Haven't you been listening! These… things… have nearly doomed us all!"

"Now you're just waxing dramatic," Dean shot back. "How do you think you'd feel if you woke up in the middle of a fake world with no parents, people trying to either kill you or control you?"

"If you'd just told us about her," Francis insisted, "if we'd greeted her with open arms, or at least if we'd known about Morganna and everything Harald did with 'The World'…"

Masamoto took a step forward. "You could've stopped all this," he said slowly. "You could've set everything right. Nobody would've had to die, or be hospitalized, or at least not so many. You kept a lid on it, all at the expense of innocent people."

"You don't understand," Takahashi feebly replied. "You… don't you get it?"

"Buddy, you're going up the river one way or another," said Dean. "Just give us the code to set her free."

"Why the hell would I do that!" he yelled, almost desperately.

"Takahashi!" shouted Francis, moving between his boss and his two companions. "He's right. You're going to jail one way or another. You're not going to get away with this anymore. And I couldn't care less, because right now there's a scared little girl that's in trouble. She's trapped, and you put her there."

Francis gazed long and hard at Takahashi. "If there's anything resembling a soul in you… if you have any honor at all, any compassion, any decency… you won't let her die. She's alive, Kyoya, like you or me or anybody. She doesn't wanna hurt anybody, and if we help her she's not going to."

"You've done a lot of illegal things tonight, Mr. Takahashi," Masamoto added, "but this isn't just criminal. This is evil."

"She's just a kid, man." Dean swallowed. "For Christ's sake, let her go."

Takahashi looked helplessly at the three men opposite him; from one, to the next, to the last. He let his eyes fall shut, and he hung his head, wheezing slightly as he took a deep breath. (I… I… god, why did this happen? I can't… I can't believe…)

"Why," he murmured to himself. "Why did it have to end this way…"

"Please," Dean whispered.

He had it all worked out. The alibi, the escape plan, the rationale for the five hundred million about to vanish from the company's account books. He knew what it meant, what she was capable of, and what he would have to do to get rid of her. He was so certain.

Or so he told himself.

His knees grew weak, and he all but collapsed into his chair. "Damn it… god damn it."

"Kyoya…"

"What am I doing?" he asked himself. "What am I doing? What have I done?"

He got a distinct image of Aura; just one, but it was enough. Her silver hair, tattered dress; tears staining her cheeks, beating her tiny fists against the walls of an invisible prison. Darkness surrounded her on all sides, slowly encroaching, consuming her.

He cracked when he started to hear it… her. His hand almost unconsciously drifted to a desk drawer. He pulled the drawer open and removed a minidisk, placing it on the desk. "Put that in any computer on the mainframe," he said quietly. "Tell her… your father loves you very much." He paused. "That's… that's the password."

Francis approached the desk. "Thank you. We'll release her immediately."

Masamoto got on the phone as Francis scurried off, leaving the study. Dean stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, casually examining the rest of the room.

"You," said Takahashi. "Dean."

Dean glanced blankly at him. "Yeah?"

"You… were once a criminal?"

The detective furrowed his brow. "So they tell me."

Takahashi took a deep breath. "How did you… deal with it?" he asked, his voice hesitant and small.

Dean's answer was quick, almost rehearsed. "I suffered," he said, almost under his breath. "I suffered until my debt was repaid."

"Does it ever end?" Takahashi asked with a hint of curiosity.

Dean looked away, staring longingly into empty space. "It can," he answered, then added, "If you want it bad enough."

* * *

"Mom!" 

Hiro scampered breathlessly across the lot, through the headquarters the police had set up. His mother turned to him upon hearing his voice, and her face lit up in joyful surprise.

"Hiroshi!" she cried, racing towards him. "Hiroshi! Oh, god, you're okay!"

For the second time that night, Hiro launched himself into a tight embrace, his mother catching him with one of her own. She half-laughed, half-sobbed as she clung to him. "Oh, Hiro, honey, I was so worried… you had me so worried…"

"I'm sorry, mom," he said, too exhausted for more tears but no less emotional. "I… I didn't mean to…"

"Don't you ever wander off like that again," she said sternly, almost whimpering. "I… I couldn't bear to lose you..."

"I know… I'm sorry," he repeated, desperate. "It just all happened so fast…" a lump welled up in his throat. "It just…" he weakly began, clinging even harder to her, as if to dispel a certain image from his mind; a gun barrel, pointed squarely at him.

"It's okay," she urged. "I'm just glad you're safe."

A pair of familiar voices called out to him; one boy, one girl. "Hiro!"

He loosened his hold on his mother, just enough to see Akira and Yasuhiko as they approached. Both had jubilant looks on their faces, Yasu grinning widely and Akira also smiling, though she was clearly fighting down a few tears.

"Akira!" he cried as they joined him. He reluctantly pulled himself free from his mother. "Yasu! You guys… you waited for me?"

"Dean said you'd be right back," Akira answered, shifting one of her feet on its toes. "I… I told mom I'd be getting a ride home."

Yasuhiko nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to wait for you. I had a feeling you'd be back soon," he said confidently, though his eyes betrayed his concern.

"You guys," Hiro began, smiling sadly. "You… guys…"

"I'm… really glad you're okay, Hiro," Akira said meekly. "You really had me… us all worried, you know that?"

"All of us," said Yasu in agreement. In spite of levity, he added, "Some more than others, though," rolling his eyes suggestively towards Akira.

"Wh-what are you talking about!" she yelped defensively, facing Yasuhiko. "You were scared, too!"

"It's all right," Hiro urged. He smiled again. "Really… it's all right. It's good to see you guys, too." He sniffed. "I was worried, too… I mean, I didn't know if I would…"

He sniffed again, growing quiet; he then remembered his mom was standing right next to him. Slightly flustered, he gestured to Akira. "Um… mom, this is a… f-friend of mine, Akira."

His mother smiled, bowing her head. "Hello, Akira. How do you do?"

Akira returned the gesture. "It's nice to meet you," she said, her voice abnormally high-pitched. "I'm, uh… one of Hiro's class…" she caught herself, remembering their age difference. "We go to the same school."

"Oh, so you met at school?"

Akira shot a shrewd smile at Hiro. "Kind of… he helped me out with something important. He was really… really sweet about it."

Hiro smiled back, his ears starting to burn. "So was she," he said. "I, uh… I couldn't have done it without her."

His mother caught the looks between them, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Is that so?" she asked, her tone warm and knowing.

* * *

"Is… is someone there?" 

What sounded like a footstep echoed through the darkness, followed closely by another. "Aura." The word was spoken slowly, calmly, though there were hints of restrained joy.

Her eyes searched the darkness, scrutinizing every visible inch. Somehow, she felt the 'walls' of her prison beginning to fade. "Who is it?" she asked. "Who's there?"

Something started to form at the very edge of her vision; a vaguely human shape. "Aura… can you hear me?"

"Yes… yes, I can hear you. Who are you?" She tried to walk towards the figure, but found herself still stuck in place. "What's going on?"

"Good," said the voice. "Listen to me. Your father loves you… very much."

She never took her eyes off the figure. The body remained unclear, but the head and face sharpened to picture-perfect clarity. The white hair was a dead giveaway, though she instinctively knew who it was regardless.

Harald smiled at her. "Aura… my daughter…"

She quivered, as if in disbelief. "F… father?"

He said nothing further; the smile on his face saying more than enough in his stead. He approached her, his arms wide, beckoning to her.

"Father!"

Her bindings were gone. Just like that, she felt free once more, and ran through the tangible darkness towards the man. She collided roughly with him, clinging to him, and felt him embracing her in return.

"Shhhh. Everything will be all right, my daughter." His words were soothing, gentle, full of love and life.

"It was… it was so dark…" she mumbled, trembling in his arms.

He stroked her hair softly. "Just rest… rest, for me… and when you wake up, everything will be back to normal." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I promise."

* * *

"I will… thank you. Thank you… father." 

The text box closed, leaving Yumi to stare at the now empty desktop.

"Did it work?" asked Francis.

Yumi turned her head, looking up at the administrator. "Yes," she said, relief mingling with exhaustion in her words. "She's free."

End of Chapter 42


	43. Epilogue

.Hack: Penance  
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun

Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached characters/concepts are property of Bandai and Cyber Connect. They are used without permission, but with the utmost respect.

Notes: Happens after the end of Quarantine. (Thoughts look like this). Yes, that's right. I'm back… only to disappear again. My apologies for the lengthy delay of this update, I know it's been a long time coming, and for those of you who still care, I thank you for your patience. I should note that the last few chapters – up to 36 – have been tweaked and modified somewhat over these past few months. Nothing major, largely dialogue and description changes.

I'm going to leave specific thanks and accolades in the author's notes following this. Having said that… it's been a blast, you guys. I know it hasn't always been easy, I've been lax at times updating and all sorts of headaches, and it certainly wasn't all fun and games for me trying to write this and make it not suck. Believe me when I say I wouldn't have gotten this far without you folks.

To my readers, my fellow writers, and my friends… I thank you.

This chapter done to the tune of: Thornley – So Far So Good

Epilogue

* * *

News: Charges Filed in CC Theft, Kidnapping Case 

With the Global Cyber-Terrorism Conference over, and the violence of its final night just days old, Cyber Connect, the Japanese and United States governments have formally filed charges against those in custody. The surviving seven members of a group of sixteen, according to a statement by Tokyo police, have been charged with three counts of data theft, two counts of kidnapping, murder, several counts of attempted murder, and various other lesser charges.

Cyber Connect, still reeling from the discovery that their own Vice-President was directing the operations of this group, has been reluctant to make a formal statement about the affair. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one source within the company said that, "Hakamura was enraged by Takahashi's confession… he felt deeply betrayed; Takahashi was a friend of his, and the other staff being involved just made it worse." Cyber Connect has not identified the software targeted for theft.

The specifics of the crime have been kept secret by police, though it has been confirmed that the theft took place in multiple stages, culminating in the fight inside Cyber Connect HQ and the later gun battle at a tenement building not far from the plaza. Four suspects were killed during the resulting chaos, though no civilian injuries were reported.

Five of the seven suspects have made formal confessions: Takahashi admitted to directing several illicit operations, one of which involved the death of Eugene Baxter (a former Cyber Connect programmer, who developed the software – codenamed Delphi – that was used in the theft); Aldous Rosenberg, of Asara Corporation, confessed to working with Takahashi to recruit others for the theft; Rosenberg's driver, Walter Sutton, and bodyguard, Zachary Dumont, confessed to their complicity in the affair; and Yoshiro Monroe, a clerk for a local internet café, admitted to helping the thieves write and modify their hacking software.

The other two suspects – Felix Croker and Masaru "Mako" Kochiro – have said nothing. Croker, who was wounded during the shootout, remains in stable condition at the Yokohama City University Medical Center, under constant police surveillance. Officials from the US Justice and State Departments, along with American and German embassies, are currently discussing trial proceedings with the Japanese government.

US President Coleman will arrive in Tokyo next week.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'nothing happened'?" 

Dean shrugged. "I showed up, picked up the car, we chatted for a bit, and then I left."

Masamoto kept pace alongside him, their footfalls echoing down the mostly empty hallway. "It couldn't have been that simple," he remarked. "I thought there was more going on between you two."

"So did I." Dean moved over a little, letting a nurse wheel an empty gurney past him. "Well… okay, I also brought over a little something to say "thanks", whipped up a bowl of oxtail soup."

"Never had it," said Masamoto, "but it sounds good. Did she like it?"

"Well, yeah, but… Ryo was there, too."

Aniki arched an eyebrow. "Sakuma? Didn't you say she and he…" he stopped, and then raised both eyebrows. "Oh."

Dean nodded weakly. "Yeah. I mean, they were just talking, but it kinda'… y'know, the mood, and all."

"I hear you."

They neared one of the doors, next to which sat a bored-looking police officer. "I'll tell you the rest later," said Dean. "Would you mind waiting here? I'd prefer to do this by myself."

"Sure." Masamoto nodded to the officer, saying something in Japanese. He then turned to Dean. "Go on in."

"Thanks."

Dean opened the door and stepped through, entering the hospital bedroom. He heard the beeping of attached machines, the humming of the air conditioning, the noise of the TV to his left, but his eyes were focused squarely on the room's occupant.

Lying flat on his back, Felix stared blankly at Dean, his hazel eyes half-open. His arms lay at his sides above the bed, one holding the TV remote and the other tended with reddened bandages.

"Well, well," murmured Felix, his tired voice masking some of his contempt. "I was wondering when you'd show up to gloat."

Dean closed the door behind him, sliding his hands smoothly into his coat pockets. He felt the gun concealed in one of them, his fingers nervously playing over the trigger. "I'm not here to gloat," he replied calmly, stone-faced as he approached the bed.

"Oh, what for then?" Felix began. "No, wait, fuck it, I don't care. You wouldn't come here unless you had something to say. C'mon, hero," he managed a derisive sneer, "I can tell you're dying to say it."

The detective felt his blood freeze and boil at the same time. He allowed his brow to furrow. "You put me through hell, Felix. You tormented that kid. Did you really think I was going to let that slide?" In his pocket, he wrapped his hand around the gun's plastic grip. "Why?"

Felix rolled his eyes. "Spare me. Far as the papers are concerned, I'm just another cardboard cut-out bad guy. Who cares about the why?"

"Goddamnit, Felix, we were friends, partners even," said Dean, starting to lose his cool. "Just tell me why."

"I told you why on the roof." Letting his head fall to the pillow, Felix replied, "And life… has its little bonuses."

Dean could hear the smirk in his voice. "Cute, Simon."

Felix countered one reference with another. "Right back at you, Sam."

The detective let out a weighty sigh. "A lifetime ago, I might've laughed at that."

A long pause. "Me too," said Felix, without any obvious malice.

"Then why the kid? Why Hiro?"

"A cautionary measure," Felix muttered honestly. "A bargaining chip, just in case a certain someone were to show up early… take your pick, Dean. It got to you, and that's all I needed until it was over." With a rueful smile, he added, "Though I have to admit, you and your… friends… worked quicker than I'd anticipated. Even I don't believe it was idiot luck; not all of it, at least."

"Thanks," said Dean flatly. "Makes my day that much brighter."

"Glad to help," Felix replied. His face contorted to a cold, hostile stare. "Is that all, 'detective'?"

Dean slipped his index finger into the trigger guard, just barely touching the trigger itself. "Well, there was one more thing, but," he sighed, "I think I've heard enough." He turned, and started towards the door.

He stopped in mid-step. "I'll get out, you know," Felix said matter-of-factly. "This isn't over."

Dean hung his head for a second, but resumed walking, albeit slowly.

"You, and that kid," Felix spat, the anger in his voice rising. "I'll be back for the both of you. Prison ain't gonna hold me, Dean, it didn't last time and it won't now."

He took another step.

"And I'm gonna pay that Miku bitch a visit, too." There was an almost desperate quality to Felix's voice, and he was visibly red-faced now. "I'm gonna make sure you see me do it, too. Nothing fancy, no jokes, no masquerade, just one bullet right between those eyes of hers… and then it's your turn, my friend."

Dean gulped down hard, silently seething. He took one more step.

"You are dead, Stollis! You hear me!" Felix shouted, the bed rattling as he sat up. "I'm coming back for you, and everyone you ever cared about, you backstabbing piece of shit!"

He set his right hand on the doorknob. He could quite clearly picture the malicious grin on Felix's face.

"I won't miss next time."

The knob turned under his hand; the door was yanked open from outside as Dean turned, pulled the gun out of his pocket, and fired.

Felix reeled back in shock as the projectile struck him in the forehead.

"Dean!" cried Masamoto. "What's going on?"

Dean slowly lowered the gun; the shocked and horrified expression was painted on his target's face, a bright orange plastic suction-cup dart stuck firmly to his head, just above the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't miss," Dean said simply, an empty and humorless look in his deep brown eyes.

He strode towards the side of Felix's bed, and the auburn-haired criminal clutched at the sides of the mattress. The dart fell off his face as he gazed up at Dean, his breath held and his eyes wide.

"The next one won't, either."

Felix's face was a hardened mask of anger, but his white knuckles and sweaty brow belied his fear. The machine to his left made itself heard, beeping wildly in time with his pulse. He didn't dare to exhale until Dean had left the room, rejoining the two baffled officers in the hall.

* * *

He peeled a chunk of bread away from the slice and tossed it into the water, in the direction of an approaching duck. The bird nonchalantly paddled over to the soaked piece, greedily gobbling it up with its long beak. 

"Heh heh. Hungry, weren't you?" Out of habit, he let a smiley face punctuate his question. He tore off another piece and let it drop, which the duck spotted and leisurely swam towards. "Eat it all up. It's good for you."

Kite smiled as he fed the duck, his ungloved hands making short work of the piece of bread. The item and feature were novelties at best, minor and recent additions during the last update. Still, he found it a fitting way to pass the time.

A passing boat sent tiny ripples through the water, and he noted a very small design flaw; the waves didn't flow around the bird, instead passing through as if it wasn't there. Almost imperceptible, yet it was enough to remind him where he was. And where he wasn't.

(It really is over,) he thought, (but still…)

Kite closed his eyes, dropping the rest of the bread into the water. The noise about him – the dialogue and clatter of the Aqua Capital – served as a suitable distraction from the noise within: memories of shouted voices, worried cries, gunshots and running footsteps. Several days old, they were still fresh to him, and more than once had they kept him up at night.

One in particular had been burned into his mind: the barrel of a loaded submachine gun, pointed squarely at him and ready to fire, with a malicious and desperate-looking face behind it. He could hear the repeated clicking of the bolt, the report of gunfire; enough sometimes to imagine if the gun had indeed fired.

He couldn't finish the thought. He was having trouble doing that lately.

"Well, look who it is."

Kite saw the shadow out the corner of his eyes, and looked up at the speaker. He smiled, sweat on his player's palms. "Hey, Yasu."

The massive Blademaster grunted, amused. "It's Orca," he said in his character's deep voice. "How's it going?"

Kite turned his gaze back to the duck, watching as it greedily nibbled at the piece of bread. "All right, I guess. Not much happening…" he paused, "I just logged on because the house was too quiet."

Orca tilted his head away from Kite, his brow wrinkled. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, sitting down next to the Twin Blade.

"Mom's out running errands," said Kite. "I didn't feel like listening to music or watching TV, but I just needed…" he gave Orca an odd look, "I need some noise."

"I see." Orca leaned back on his hands. "You had some thinking to do?" After a beat, he asked, "Or… you trying to avoid thinking?"

Kite sighed, hanging his head. "That's it," he murmured quietly. "I'm trying not to." The swallow that followed his words suggested he wasn't succeeding.

Orca nodded, watching the other end of the canal with detached interest. "I can understand that," he said knowingly.

"How… how did you deal with it?" asked Kite, tentative and careful.

The Blademaster half-snorted. "Heh… who says I'm dealing with it?"

Kite glanced up at him, his eyes hinting at a silent pain. "Then how…"

Orca didn't let him finish. "It isn't easy," he quietly admitted. "You close your eyes… you can still see it, still hear it." He puckered his lips inward, chewing lightly on them. "You're talking with friends, laughing, and then something will remind you of 'The World'… of that dark, empty place…"

Kite inhaled through his nose, afraid to make too much noise. Orca stared directly into the canal, into the watery reflection of the buildings on the other side; it was clear his mind was somewhere else.

"For me, that's how it is sometimes." Orca shivered; Kite got the impression it wasn't just the character. The Blademaster then turned to his shorter companion. "I know, uh… that it was a bit… different for you," he said carefully, clenching his jaw.

"I guess," Kite murmured. "It… seems so unreal now. But every time I think I'm over it… that feeling comes back." He swallowed, his voice trembling. "Like I'm… like I'm still there." He shrugged, looking up into the artificial sky. "I guess I know what you mean, even if it wasn't the same…"

Orca said nothing, scraping his teeth side-to-side offline, himself almost able to picture staring into a loaded gun barrel. The thought sent a unique chill down his spine; helplessness and fear, as opposed to the isolation and emptiness he had endured.

He had no idea what was in store for him. Hiro, on the other hand, knew his fate to the letter. Yasuhiko couldn't help but grunt softly, pained even by picture in his mind.

"Do you think… it will ever get better?" Kite asked, the faintest of hopes in his weary voice.

The brown-haired swordsman broke from his semi-trance, turning to Kite. To Kite's surprise, he smiled, just slightly. "I learned a while ago that none of this goes away quietly… but it'll get easier." He lifted a hand, palm up, and gestured vaguely at the canal. "I doubt we'll ever really forget what happened, but we'll have other things to worry about someday… things that'll put this all in perspective."

Kite didn't immediately answer. Orca choked back his own inner emptiness, and reached for the first thing that came to him.

"I was terrified on my first day of school," Orca continued. "Every time I've had to go to the doctor, or meet someone new… when I was even younger I was scared of imaginary things, monsters under the bed, in the closet…" he grinned weakly. "Scared of the damn boogeyman."

Despite his downtrodden posture, Kite couldn't help but laugh softly. "Heh… you too?"

"Yeah," Orca chuckled. "It seems so stupid now…" he looked away again, still smiling. "But it'll pass. We've been through a lot, but what about things that happen offline? Car accidents, robberies, power outages, fights… there are a lot of scary things out there, Hiro."

The Twin Blade silently agreed, but opted for a lighter answer. "Kite," he corrected with a small smile.

Orca rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah… but do you understand what I'm saying? It's all right to let things like this get to you… but there will be other things." He looked up into the sky. "How did it go… was it, 'This too shall pass'?"

Kite smiled wider. "It works for me." He sat up straight, clenching and relaxing one of his hands. "You're right. There will be other things to worry about… and we got past this, didn't we?"

Orca grinned once again and slapped Kite on the back, causing him to pitch forward and almost lose his balance. "Heh heh! That's the spirit. Believe me, we all get back up sooner or later. And when something puts us down again…"

"…we get back up again," Kite finished, adding a smiley face. "Thanks, Orca."

"Hey, that's why I'm here." The Blademaster smirked. "Well, that and to catch up."

Kite chuckled. "Is that why you're on now?"

"Nah, actually I just got back from that one field with Balmung; you know, where Aura was… well, taken?"

"Oh yeah," said Kite, "it was posted on the boards how they closed it for 'maintenance'. They let you in?"

"Lios wanted us to visually check the area," Orca explained, "and see if we could find her. We didn't see anything unusual, though. He said that he and Helba ran some kind of program. Didn't say what it was, just that it broke her out of wherever she was being kept."

"But she's gone now?"

Orca shrugged. "Apparently. Lios said she was supposed to go into some kind of dormant state to recover."

Kite nodded. He took off his cap, running his other hand through the mess of teal hair. "I think she'll be okay, too."

"If we will, she will," Orca said firmly.

Smiling, Kite threw his cap back on and pulled the gloves out of his pockets. "Well, you said you wanted to catch up, right?" He stood up, taking a step back from the canal as he slipped into his gloves. "I think I owe you a powerlevel or two."

Orca rose to his feet, turning towards the stairs behind them. "Sounds like a plan," he said. As they started towards the main broadway, he said, "Oh, hey, almost forgot to ask. How's things with BlackRose?"

Kite tugged on the gloves, wiggling his fingers further inside. "Actually," he said with audible casualness, "I'm going to ask her out again, for this weekend. Maybe to go see a movie or something."

"Or something?" inquired the Blademaster, raising an eyebrow in an all-too-suggestive manner. "Planning on making your move?" he added with a grin.

Offline, Hiroshi felt himself blush. "Hey, come on," he urged. "Th-that's… that's not for a while now."

"What's not for a while now?" Orca pushed, still grinning. "C'mon, you can tell me."

"You know what I mean," Kite countered, defensive and slightly flustered. "You know how I am with girls… I'm not ready to, uh… you know…"

"Make your move?"

Kite leapt at the opportunity to take the ambiguous way out. "Yeah, that," he admitted shyly, nevertheless unable to hide his smile.

Orca laughed to himself, but let it go. "Yeah, I know… I know."

A spark of humor and mischief laced Kite's next words. "Third date, at least," he said, just loud enough to be heard.

The Blademaster's bellowed laugh echoed long and loud through the capital.

* * *

She gestured to the plus sign, watching with mild fascination as the number rapidly shot up from one to ninety-nine. Satisfied, she hit 'accept' and closed out the menu, the transaction complete and her inventory filled to the brim with Fairy Orbs. 

BlackRose turned away from the item shop and started towards the nearest bridge, crossing from one island of Dun Loireag to the next. The clouds below churned violently in the wind; the sky above, crystal clear and a brilliant orange.

(Let's see. If I start now, maybe in a couple hours…) her train of thought quickly derailed as she spotted a familiar, green-clad Wavemaster near the Chaos Gate, who was gazing at the simulated sunset. (Wait… is that her?) she wondered absentmindedly, approaching the blonde woman. (Yeah, I thought so. I wonder what she's up to?)

As she got closer, it became obvious that BT wasn't staring at anything in particular. The character lacked the telltale signs of an absent player; namely, she still showed idle movement. Still, the blank look on the Wavemaster's face suggested she was only partly there.

Confused and curious, BlackRose cleared her throat and spoke up. "Excuse me."

"Hmm?" BT turned her head towards the Heavy Blade. "Ah, hello there. Sorry, I didn't see you at first."

The tone was less than warm; she couldn't tell if the somewhat curt greeting was in or out of character for the older woman. "Y-yes," she hesitantly replied. "I was just curious… you looked kinda' like something was wrong."

BlackRose cringed on the inside, the words awkward to hear and say. She loosened up when BT nodded, looking away. "I suppose you could say that," the Wavemaster said cautiously. "I was… thinking."

"About what?" the Heavy Blade asked.

To that, BT gave a rueful smile. "It's complicated. I've had a lot on my mind lately." She quickly added, "Of course, we all have, haven't we?"

"Heh, you can say that again." Just saying it caused her mood to darken.

BT shook her head. "Forgive me, I… I've been thinking about The World, and me. I forgot you had your share of problems as well." She faced BlackRose, adopting a look of concern. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Better, thanks." Offline, she scratched the back of her neck, brushing aside the tag on her shirt collar. "Hiro seems to be doing better, and it looks like Aura's going to be okay too."

"That's good," said BT. She frowned. "Dean told me a little about it… I feel bad for Hiroshi. I…" her face twitched, "I know what it feels like to… be taken."

BlackRose couldn't quite see the haunted look in BT's eyes, but the word 'taken', and how she said it, told her the rest. "Yeah," she murmured, "I… I was," her throat tightened, her pride intervened, if briefly. She forced out the words. "Worried about him. I mean, he, uh… he wasn't hurt or anything, but…"

BT nodded. "Being in a room with armed men… being threatened with death," her voice quivered, "is pain enough."

"How… how did it happen for you?" asked the Heavy Blade, with vague timidity.

The Wavemaster closed her eyes, curling her lips back. "They took us by force… burst into my home." She sighed. "It was… unpleasant."

BlackRose bit her lip gently. "I'm sorry…"

BT shook her head. "It was a while ago. And… I suppose things turned out well enough in the end." She opened her eyes, looking off at the horizon. "If he hadn't been there, though…" she began, almost wistful. She caught herself, and turned back BlackRose. "In any case, I can… empathize with your friend."

"Yeah," BlackRose mumbled. "One of the guys… Hiro mentioned that one of them was about to… y'know, shoot him." She matched BT's gaze. "He didn't say much about it at the time, but… well, like you said, it's bad enough by itself."

"Mmm." BT folded her arms loosely over her chest. "It's difficult to think about. Or to not think about."

"I can almost see it sometimes," said BlackRose. "We'll be talking, and he'll trail off… he'll have this look, distant." Her throat grew dry. "Like he's not really there."

Offline, Akira blindly reached towards her desk, feeling for the tall plastic cup. Her fingers bumped into its icy side, condensation lining the surface and soaking into the coaster below. She gripped the drink, bringing it up to her mouth and taking a quick sip from the straw, the cool liquid flowing down her throat and soothing it.

Taking the controller with both hands again, she continued. "I just know," she said ruefully, "I mean, like you said, it's not something you just forget…"

"Indeed," BT replied. A strange look crossed her eyes, a flash of memory, a spark of insight. After a beat, she added, "Then again, you'd be surprised what a boy can get through." An intentional pause. She nodded knowingly to the girl. "If he has friends he can trust."

"You really think so?"

To this, she smiled faintly. "I'm certain of it. In fact… you could say I've seen it happen."

BlackRose shared her smile; slow, tiny, yet hopeful, optimistic even. "I'll take your word on it, then." She glanced left, then right. "Anyway, we'll be better once things finally get back to normal here."

A soft chuckle was BT's response. "The World? Normal?" she asked, her tone implying the question was rhetorical.

"Well, I mean like how things were before all the… you know…" BlackRose idly toed the ground, hanging her head.

"I know what you meant." The Wavemaster looked down at her feet, her voice growing quiet. "Honestly… I hope so too."

BlackRose had a hunch she wasn't just talking about 'The World'. "How about you?" she asked out of curiosity. "You said you had a lot on your mind?"

BT turned and paced for a few steps, slowly and deliberately. "Hmm… it's somewhat personal." She gave BlackRose a guarded look, as if to dissuade her from inquiring further, though her posture and pacing said otherwise. "Though you can probably guess," she said half-heartedly.

The pink-haired girl went with the most obvious option. "Is it about… Dean?"

BT stopped in her tracks. (Yeah, that's it,) thought BlackRose.

The Wavemaster smiled, just barely. "Good guess," she murmured.

"So… what's the problem?" Feeling a little intimidated, she added, "I-if you don't mind my asking, I mean."

Closing her eyes, BT answered, "This isn't the first time I've… been in this kind of situation." She took a deep breath. "To tell you the truth, it's been a while since I met someone offline. I mean, without The World involved. And even so…"

"Yeah?"

"The ones I met in the game, well…" BT grew quiet for a moment, looking away, a faint look of longing somewhere in her eyes. "Suffice it to say sometimes things don't work out the way you'd like them to."

BlackRose blinked. "That seems kinda' obvious, really."

BT chuckled, looking back at the Heavy Blade. "I suppose it is. Never mind, don't worry about it," she said dismissively. "Like I said, it's not the first time I've had to deal with something like this." Her thin façade cracked. "I just…"

"It's all right, you don't have to explain. I didn't want to pry or anything."

"No, it's okay," BT said quietly, "I'm just… conflicted, I suppose. Dean, he… he helped me, and I did what I could to help him." She stopped, inhaled deeply. "He… fought for me. Saved me, even… I'm not even sure it's about him, so much as… something else."

"Something else?" BlackRose asked.

BT didn't seem to hear her. "It's just that all the… the men I've met, lately it seems like the only way I can is through the game. Dean's the first man I've met out of the game in a long time. I don't feel bad about it or anything… but I feel like I ought to. Especially after Cri…" she caught herself, stopping short. "F-forget about it, I'll… I can handle it," she finished unsteadily.

"If you say so," said BlackRose. Her player casually glanced at the clock on the heads-up display, and she remembered her agenda for the day. "Well, I should probably get going. I was on my way to start looking for this thing I heard about on the boards." She smiled, breaking eye contact. "It's some kind of contest, they said there's a rare Twin Blade item as a prize."

A corner of BT's mouth crooked upwards. "Really," she said, flatly and knowingly.

BlackRose chuckled and turned partly away, feeling a faint flush to her cheeks. "I thought he might like it."

"Hmm." BT nodded, smiling to herself as she watched the girl approach the Gate. "It sounds as though things are going well for you… two." That last word tumbled uncomfortably past her lips, with notable hesitation.

The Heavy Blade threw a shrewd look at the Wavemaster. In a deliberately slow and contemplative tone, she said, "Let's just say that… sometimes things do work out the way you'd like them to."

BT couldn't stop her smile from growing.

* * *

He tore open the packet of Sweet n' Low, dumping the contents into the steaming black liquid before him. Taking the spoon, he started to stir as the man opposite him spoke up. 

"So what's the story?" Dean asked, setting down his cup of coffee.

The clink of the spoon against the cup mingled with voices chatting and other dishes clattering. Far from busy, the coffee joint had just enough of a crowd to where no specific conversation was audible. The sun shone through the window, slowly baking the table and everything on it, including the sleeve of Max's suit jacket.

Stopping to adjusting the sleeve, Max replied, "Rosenberg's going down hard. They're finally taking my claims seriously; Better Business wants a piece of him, FTC… Asara's going to be okay, though. They start looking for his replacement in a month or so."

"Isn't the vice-CEO or someone… whoever's next in line, aren't they in charge by default?"

"Nah, there's a formal procedure," said Max. "Cursory investigation to make sure any attached people aren't also involved in whatever bad things went down, rescreening of viable employees, blah, blah." He shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee. "It's mostly for show, it's all about seniority." He then looked up with a small grin. "I am getting a raise, though, so that's kinda' cool."

"Heh heh. Not too shabby."

"I'll say." He waved dismissively. "But enough about that. What's going down you and what's-her-name… Miku, wasn't it?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, haven't seen her since I picked up my car. Haven't seen any of the World crew, really."

"Been busy?"

"More or less, but it's about to get worse." He reached into his coat pocket, removing a folded-up piece of expensive-looking paper. "I got this in the mail yesterday. They picked a place for the trial, and apparently I'm to testify."

"Where's it happening?"

Dean unfolded the letter, handing it to Max. "I could tell ya," he said faux-playfully, "but it's more fun to read it."

Max skimmed over the letter, reading a word here or there. He mentally blocked out the legal mumbo-jumbo, the language invented to keep things explicit and obtuse. When he came to the words 'Washington DC,' his eyebrows jumped just shy of an inch.

"That's the look," said Dean. "Right there, that's what I looked like."

"DC?" Max looked up. "Why did they settle on Washington?"

"A guy I know got in touch with Frank at Cyber Connect," Dean explained. "The short of it is he was one of the few who hadn't been purged or rotated out over The World, and he was also part of their efforts to upgrade the AIs."

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah, you said something about this guy a while back. Tanaka, wasn't it?"

"He'll be there, too; the CIA was involved in the Echelon protocols that helped screw with Morganna's programming in the first place. He knows a few guys at Langley who can corroborate his testimony."

"Well, I'll be damned," said Max with a grin, handing back the letter. "It looks like you're standing at ground zero for the trial of the century."

"Yep." He sighed. "And that's part of the problem, man. I'm heading back this Saturday, and God only knows how long this will all take."

Max took a long sip from his coffee, the drink now cool enough not to scald. "Maybe a year, maybe two… who knows." He watched Dean plant his chin in his hand, staring through the window at the street outside. "You look less than happy about this," Max remarked.

Dean sat up straight. "Yeah. Take a guess."

The business agent didn't have to. "Miku hasn't heard yet?"

The detective shook his head. "Nah. Like I said, I haven't seen her in a few days." With a frown, he grumbled to himself, "There's always something… it figures, doesn't it. Haven't so much as had a meal with a woman since Claire. Met Miku by chance, somehow manage not to piss her off, I think she finally warmed up to me, not quite sure, and just when I think it's done I gotta' be there to help clean up."

"Cheer up, man, you'll see her again," said Max.

"Yeah, that I know, but it might be too late when I do…" Feeling a minor kink in his neck, Dean tilted his head and rubbed at the sore spot. "Mm… damn it. I just thought all the bullshit was over with, y'know? And, well, hell if I know how she really feels. There's still Ryo, and even he said she had her eye on some guy from The World." He released his neck, taking another sip of coffee. "I don't know, man. There's a couple of ways this is bugging me, I can't settle on one."

The blond agent looked away from the window, at the vacant table next to them. He drummed his fingers against the side of his cup, Dean's frustrated face still visible out the corner of his eye.

"Mind if I level with you?" said Max, breaking the brief silence between them.

"Go ahead."

Max met his eyes. "A while back, I met Hiro offline, after he'd deciphered the message you sent him." He gave a short laugh. "Smart kid. Anyway, he asked me something then, something I didn't get to answer. Namely, why I named my character TamonAdillo."

"After the Poe story, right?"

"Yeah." He laughed again. "Ah, well I told him at the time it was complicated, but, uh," he fiddled idly with the spoon, "since you were there, you'd probably have a better idea what I mean."

"How so?"

"Well, Rosenberg and I didn't see eye to eye all the time, but there was always respect. There was always… maybe not trust, but a degree of honor. To be totally honest, he was actually considering me for an advisory position."

"I take it things didn't stay that way?"

Max shook his head. "No. I don't recall exactly when, but sometime back in 2009 – I'd only been with the company for about four years by then – we started competing more heavily with Cyber Connect. He started…" Max grimaced, "it's like he became obsessed with beating them at their own game. Worked our dev teams some long hours; our OS guys were clocking some serious overtime. Beating Altimit suddenly became the new bottom line."

Dean nodded, sipping at his coffee. "Go on."

Sighing, Max continued. "The rest you can probably figure out. When he learned – I don't know how – but when he found out about the AIs in 'The World,' and some of the stuff CC and Harald did in those areas, that was… well, not to wax dramatic, but that's when he started going criminal."

"I had a hunch he wasn't telling us the whole story with Delphi, but I wasn't sure." He leaned back, taking a huge gulp from his cup. "The whole thing… I mean, I was kind of a Poe fan from way back, but this was the only time I'd been able to empathize with any of them." His words and expression grew darker. "It came to a head the night before we left, we got into a bit of a shouting match over the phone. He, uh…" one of his fingers twitched, just barely, "…he said if I screwed up, that I shouldn't bother returning."

"Felt like that guy who thought he was going for wine, wound up getting walled in. Also felt like the guy doing the walling; the guy who felt betrayed by someone he thought he knew." He chuckled weakly. "I guess that's where it came from. M-more or less." Forcing a meek smile, he added, "Also, Fortunado was taken."

Dean held back his comments, save for a single, muted, "Damn, man."

"Heh," Max grunted. "I know, right? Anyway, I tell you that to tell you this. You look back, you think what we've gone through here." He leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table. "Company goons, CIA, hired thugs, killer AI programs… against all odds, you, of all people, hung in there and did the right thing. From what I hear, you could've just as easily taken Felix out back and blown his head off, and nobody would've blamed you, but you brought him in. You did all that, and yet you're afraid to speak up."

"Appreciate the vote of confidence," Dean said dryly.

"Listen, my point is that you gotta' be clear about these things – ah, screw euphemisms, you gotta' be clear when it comes to love, man." Max gestured to Dean. "I know, you two got along well so far, but from what you've told me a lot has gone unsaid. Tell her you'd like to see her again, tell her you can't stop thinking about her, tell her something. She'll remember you when you get back, and I mean that in the best way possible."

"You really think so?" Dean asked, a hint of timidity in his voice.

"Hey, if I'm wrong, I'll buy you a falafel," Max said jokingly, grinning for emphasis.

Dean couldn't help but laugh. "Awesome, so it's win-win for me."

"Exactly," Max nodded. "Trust me, it's that simple. Just tell her. I know you're busy and all, but call her, mail her, however you do it – just tell her."

"Heh heh…" Dean smiled slowly. "Well… what the hell. I'll do it. Thanks, man."

"Thank me later, preferably with details," said Max, a vaguely lecherous smile on his lips.

The detective snickered. "Yeah, right."

* * *

"Kite! Over here!" 

The voice was close enough to prompt a text box, which appeared just inside his field of view. Turning towards the voice, he scampered across the sunny, grassy field, towards the pink-haired speaker.

Sitting next to a tree, BlackRose ceased waving at the approaching Twin Blade. "Right on time!" she called cheerfully, patting the ground next to her.

Kite sheathed his weapons and sat down beside his thorny comrade. With a smiley face, he replied, "I've been told it's not nice to keep a lady waiting."

"Heh heh… good. Glad to see you've been listening." She shot back a winking emote, giving both a good laugh.

Kite smiled at her, taking just a moment to admire her digital form. "So," he asked, "what's this surprise you emailed me about?"

"I'm glad you asked." Her ruby eyes shifted, glancing at an unseen inventory menu. "I was up late last night trying to win it. Took me six tries, but I got it." Her eyes twitched, scanning each individual item. "Let's see, where is it… ah-ha!" She beamed. "Look away for a second."

Nonplussed, Kite humored her and cocked his head away, closing his eyes. Lightheartedly, he asked, "It's not a bomb or something, is it?"

"Not a live one," she answered, also joking. "Okay, have a look!"

He turned back and opened his eyes; after a second of analyzing the objects she held, his eyes bugged out. Clutched firmly in her hands, the two blades shone brilliantly in the sun, their design orthodox yet ornate: hilt and hand guard of polished gold, with several colored jewels set in the pommel; the blade itself well over two feet long, narrow and edges filed to impossible sharpness. A few obscure characters marred the surface of the blade, though he recognized three of them; his name, Kite, in katakana.

"What do you think?" she asked. "They started rolling out class-based items, I got them to customize it for you." She offered them to Kite, and it took the boy a few seconds to notice the open trade menu. "Go on, try 'em out!"

"They're… they're really nice," he murmured, gingerly accepting the blades. A few buttons pushed, and he had them equipped. Like magic, they popped into his sheaths, replacing his current weapon as he stood up. He gave an offhand glance toward his stats, and started to grin when he saw the numbers climb, even despite his already high level.

The teal-haired fighter drew the blades, taking a few practice swings with them. He heard grass crunching under boots as BlackRose stood up, watching him test his new toys. As his attacks grew more enthusiastic and intense – skillfully incorporating spins, thrusts and a series of jumping slashes – she got the hint that he was pleased.

"Well?" she asked, waiting for him to confirm her hunch. "What do you think?"

Hearing her question, he came to rest and put the blades away. He turned and rejoined her, smiling broadly. "They're perfect," he said. "Thank you, thank you very much."

"I thought you might like 'em," said BlackRose confidently. "I mean, anybody can level up, but you gotta' have the stuff to go with it too." She smiled merrily. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh, of course," he replied. Offline, he took his hands off the controller, overriding the chat function as he spoke. "After all, j00 n33d t3h ph4t l3wt!" he exclaimed, doing his best not to laugh.

BlackRose shook her head, chuckling to herself. "Just promise me that's the last time you're going to speak like that and we'll call it even."

"First, last and only." He picked up his controller again, emoting a smiley. "Thank you, BlackRose. You didn't have to do all that, but it means a lot to me."

She kept smiling, but the humor seemed to vanish from her face. "I know, but I wanted to. With everything we've been through, we haven't had much time to just relax and enjoy the game… I wanted to get you something for just that." She looked away, idly toeing the ground. "And… I wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for me."

Kite blushed. "Well… then, thank you again, and… heh, you're welcome. Even though I think I should be thanking you just the same," he added at the end, laughing just to loosen himself up.

She laughed back, though the two quickly fell silent. They stared at each other awkwardly, shyly, as if still unwilling to say – or do – what was really on their minds.

"I can't believe," he began. "I mean, it always seemed like every time I thought it was over, something else would happen." He sighed wearily. "I was… afraid to even think it this time."

She angled her head skyward, her lips falling to a flat line. "I know what you mean," she said. "It felt like whenever we thought we were close to the end, we found out there was more to it than that. You said a while ago that it was just beginning, but somehow I can tell this wasn't what you had in mind."

"Even now," said Kite, "I don't know if I really believe it. Like I'll wake up tomorrow, and something else is wrong with the game," he flinched, "or someone else is… is af-after Dean… or me." He shifted one of his feet uneasily, looking down at the ground. "I j… I mean, when you think about it all…"

"All we've been through," she finished for him, her voice taking on melancholy tones. "Like waiting to hear what else is next… like there's one last boss we gotta' fight or something."

Hiroshi swallowed, soothing his parched throat. "Yasu said we'd feel better later… we'd find other things to deal with, worry about…" A quiet sniff punctuated the statement.

"I think we've had enough of that already," Akira replied, turning her gaze to him, her character's ruby eyes shimmering as if from tears. She smiled weakly, speaking with uncommon softness. "You really had us all worried, you know…"

"I know… I-I know," Hiroshi mumbled. "I… it… it scared the hell out of me. I, uh… didn't even think about it at the time." He sniffed again.

She shook her head sadly. "A… a part of me wondered if I'd… ever, y'know… s-see you a-again," she shakily confessed; the girl visibly shuddered, perhaps intentionally.

Hiro felt a lump well up in his throat, a disturbingly familiar sensation. "M-m-me too," he said in a tiny voice, wanting desperately to hide his face, unable to look away from his companion.

BlackRose parted her lips tentatively. "Hiro," she whispered, slowly drawing closer.

"Akira…" He tried, vainly, to stifle his tears as he matched her move, taking a step towards her.

He wasn't sure when he decided it, or if he decided it first. Slowly, almost without realizing it, BlackRose and he drew closer to each other, shuffling into arm's reach. His arms reached up, as if of their own volition, and snaked around her waist; he was quite aware of hers sliding over his shoulders, her hands linking behind his back.

Online, their embrace tightened, their heads found their way to each other's shoulders. Offline, the players were only barely conscious of the controllers still clenched in their sweaty hands.

Out of nowhere, a quiet sob rippled through Hiro's body, his fingers involuntarily nudging a few buttons; the maneuver translated to his character, Kite's sorrowful visage slowly filling with tears. Akira let a soft whimper escape her lips, her own digital self starting to shake.

The floodgates opened, their cries followed soon by more, each encouraged by the other. Still clinging to each other, they bawled and wailed, their faces flushed and stained as the two online warriors shared their pain.

"I-I'm sorry!" Hiro blubbered. "I'm sorry, for everything… Akira, I'm sorry!"

"Me too, Hiro… I… this is all so screwed up…" Akira sniffed, "I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry," he whined between breaths, slowly exhausting his tears. "I'm sorry…"

"It's really over," she croaked, gulping air, "It's over."

"It's over," he repeated, his character loosening his hold on hers.

Their breaths slowly deepened, their sobs ceasing; purged of the poison that had been building within them. Each loosened their grip on the other, reclining just far enough to see each other's face. The silence between them grew thicker, more tangible, as their eyes met once more.

(It's over,) he thought, (even if it is just the beginning.)

He saw her lips purse shut briefly, saw her throat constrict as she swallowed. "On… on the blades," she said in a dry voice, breaking the silence, "did you notice the characters?"

"Y-yeah," he replied timidly. He could taste his own tears. "It was my name, right?"

She smiled, so very slowly. "Yeah… that, and the word 'hero.'" There was a slight pause around "hero", as if the word itself carried a sort of reverence.

With proper presence of mind, he might have blushed even more. "Hero…" he whispered, his heart pounding, a bashful smile climbing onto his lips.

Her confidence returning to her, BlackRose idly toyed with a lock of Kite's hair. "Mm-hmm. I mean it, Hiro… thank you for everything," she said, her fake eyes filled with genuine warmth.

"Akira… I…" he began, trailing off as he 'felt' her tugging him a little closer. He reciprocated, sliding his hands further around her lower back as he instinctively leaned his head in.

A last bastion of his bashful nature seized control, and he froze; his hesitation did not go unnoticed. "What is it?" she asked, her soft voice alien even to her.

"Do you… don't you think we should… maybe we ought to wait?" he finally managed to say, his voice almost a squeak. "I mean… if y-you want to, that is…" he mumbled, not sure which particular insecurity was holding him back.

The Heavy Blade eyed him quizzically, studying his face. A secret smile played on her lips. "You said it yourself… it's just beginning… right?" The blush on her face betrayed her own shyness.

"Yeah… it is," he whispered, in as soothing a tone as he could manage. "It's something bigger than us… and we may never be able to just leave this behind…"

"I know."

"Until it's safe… until it's over for good."

"For good."

"You and me? Partner?"

"You… and me…"

Idly, he reached a hand up and stroked her pink hair; she let out a small, appreciative noise and moved in closer.

"A-are you sure?"

One last barrier.

"Yes…"

Effortlessly passed.

Her gaze jumped from his eyes to his lips, and back again, and she returned the gesture, dipping her head towards him and tilting to one side. Their lips met, shyly and anxiously, and both let out a soft sigh as they started to kiss.

* * *

From: DStollis 

To: nolettuce

Subj: Duty calls

Heya Miku.

I tried calling, but got the machine. Figured this may take awhile to say, so I wanted to take the time to say it. The short version is that I'm headed back to the States; the trial starts soon, and I have to testify. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone, it depends how long everything takes. I leave this Saturday.

It looks like, if you'll pardon the language, the shit has hit the proverbial fan, and I'm somewhere in the center of it all. I wish I had a choice in the matter; the whole thing scares the hell out of me. The last time I was in a courtroom was under drastically different circumstances, and I'm not looking forward to going back.

Now comes the really hard-to-say stuff, the kind of stuff I don't know if I could say face-to-face. The real reason I don't wanna go is because… Jesus, I just spent twenty minutes sitting here, staring, trying to type it out. I must've deleted something I wrote at least ten times, trying to put it to words. Even now, I'm not sure I can; maybe I don't know myself.

Who am I kidding? I keep thinking about you, Miku, all the time, and you're the reason I don't want to go. I can't force myself to say it aloud – maybe I'm scared, maybe I just don't want you to wait for me, maybe a lot of things, hell if I know which – but that's how I feel. No… more than that.

I love you.

It took me half an hour to work up the guts to type that out. I wish I could've seen you at least once more before I left, but maybe it's for the best that we didn't. As I said before, I don't want to make you wait for who knows how long. That's not fair to you, and I'll understand if… if things just don't work out the way I want them to.

I owe you more than you know. If and when I make it back, I hope to make it up to you. Until then, take care.

Yours,

Dean

* * *

It was nothing like he had dreamed. 

He sat alone, flanked by empty chairs and surrounded only by strangers. Voices echoed through the airport terminal, in Japanese, then English, then Spanish and German. To his left, a steady crowd of would-be and former passengers filed in and out of the airport gates, their chatter adding to the background noise. He didn't take much notice of the gate itself, save that its gray, metallic walls and clean blue carpeting did little to distinguish it from every other airport gate he had visited.

Dean had vague illusions of a more dramatic farewell: boarding someone's private jet (occasionally as grand as Air Force One), waving a tearful goodbye to friends and comrades, getting to kiss The Girl one last time before taking off and flying into the sunset. End scene, cue credits.

Another recurring image was of an escaped Felix, or some other surviving conspirator, rushing him with a smuggled-in knife or pistol, or even just clubbing him with whatever blunt object was at hand.

Not sitting in an airport like any other passenger, and not about to board a jet like every other time he had flown.

(It just seems so… ordinary,) he pondered. (Well, at least the State Department's springing for the ticket. Free trip back to LA… what was it, 14 hours? 16? Maybe I'll actually get to sleep this time…) He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his green windbreaker bunching up as he moved.

He sent token farewell letters and emails to everyone he felt would care; Hiro, Masa, Max, and a rather special one to Miku. No replies. He reminded himself for the thirtieth time that day that he should have sent them earlier.

Sighing in frustration, he sloppily folded the newspaper he'd been holding; it barely registered to him that the Cyber Connect-Asara scandal was on the front page.

(I've dealt with enough of that for two lifetimes, thank you very much.) He rubbed his temples. (And then I get on another plane NEXT week to DC. Whoop-dee-Goddamn-doo.)

Sitting up straight, Dean stretched his legs and arched his back, hearing a few odd, but satisfying pops and snaps come from his tired bones. An itchy scar on his abdomen – the lingering remains of a rifle bullet wound – was the only remaining physical evidence of abuse.

Satisfied, Dean leaned back and gazed up into the nearest light, then closed his eyes. The chatter around him called his mind to another time, at roughly the same place; to a man driven by a more selfish purpose – to say nothing of illegal.

(Wonder what would've happened if I'd told Rosenberg "no",) he thought simply, smirking blindly.

"Yo, Dean!"

His ears followed the calling of his name; opening one eye, he saw the tiny group of men push through the foot traffic, towards him. Max walked at the front, followed closely by Masamoto and Hiroshi. The lieutenant carried a big white plastic bag, suspiciously thin and with a hangar sticking out the top.

Dean opened the other eye and broke into a wide grin. "Ha ha! What is this?" He stood up, turning towards the approaching entourage. "Who let you guys in here?"

"You didn't really think we were gonna just let you go, did you?" Masamoto asked rhetorically, a smile gracing his aged features. "Max got a hold of us, I cleared us through the checkpoint; we figured you deserve a send-off."

"Aww, isn't that sweet of you," said Dean. "Seriously, that just gets me right here," he patted his fist over his heart, "warm fuzzies and everything."

Max chuckled. "I thought it might." With obvious sarcasm, he added, "Hope we weren't interrupting anything, you looked awfully busy, just sitting there and all."

"Heh heh. Damn, I'm glad to see you guys." Dean slid his hands into his pockets, smiling casually. "I was starting to think I was gonna leave as quietly as I got here."

"They said you're going to testify at the trial," said Hiro. "What's going to happen?"

Dean cocked his head at the boy. "To us? Nothing much. I'm hoping all I have to do is tell my side of the story, and then I can skedaddle. As for everything else, though…" he sighed deeply, "I don't know, Hiro man. I'd like to believe our part's done, but… hell, who knows."

A loudspeaker crackled to life, followed by a woman saying something in Japanese, and then in English: "United flight #247 to Los Angeles, California will begin boarding in five minutes."

Dean glanced back at the counter, watching as some of the passengers formed a line outside the gate. "Well, I guess this is it, huh," he said, a touch of depression in his voice.

"For now," said Masamoto, "which is why I brought you this." He held up the bag and worked the hangar through the hole. "After all you did for us, we couldn't let you go home empty-handed," he explained, "so us and some of the guys at the precinct chipped in and picked up a little something. Hope you like it."

The detective furrowed his brow as he spotted leather. He quietly gasped as Masamoto pulled the bag completely off, revealing a brown leather jacket that looked remarkably like his old one, sans wear and tear.

"Figured you could use a new one after yours got cut up," said Max. "Even Hiro threw in a few bucks."

"Guys, this…" Dean took the jacket off the hangar, running one of his hands over the smooth, soft surface. "This… this is… aw, geez, this is too much," he stammered, giving Max a stern look. "What'd you pay for this, 200?"

"Lower, much lower," Masamoto assured him. "Don't worry, it was on sale. Go on, try it on."

Dean hurriedly shrugged off his windbreaker, placing it on his chair near his duffel bag. "My God, this is too nice, you guys," he mumbled as he slid one of his arms into the jacket, and then the other. He pulled the collar up around his neck and gave it a quick tug, causing the jacket to settle stiffly.

"Well?" asked Hiroshi. "What do you think?"

Turning back to his three companions, Dean said, "Damn, guys, this is too much. I… I'm touched." He smiled. "I'm genuinely touched, you didn't have to do this." He experimentally moved his arms around, checking out his new jacket. "Needs to be broken in a little, but I like it."

"Told you he'd like it," Max boasted.

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks… thanks, you guys. You guys rock, you know that? I mean that, don't let anybody tell you otherwise." He laughed again. "Anybody says otherwise, you send 'em my way."

"We get it, we get it," said Masamoto, smiling back. "It's the least we owe you for everything you did."

"Hey, c'mon now," Dean replied, holding up his hands, "that was a group effort. Like I said, you guys are all right. Couldn't have done it without you all." He thought for a moment, then said, with deliberate silliness, "I have no problem accepting the credit for it all in public, though. On the record, especially where monetary rewards are concerned."

"Ha!" shouted Max, causing a few turned heads from nearby passengers. "That's so wrong I don't know where to begin," he shot back between laughs. "'Monetary rewards,' yeah, and then maybe you can buy that bridge I'm selling."

"United flight #247 to Los Angeles, California is now boarding. Section 1 may begin boarding."

Dean threw a disapproving frown in the direction of the gate. "Guess that's my cue," he said. He turned to Max, extending his hand. "Maxey, take it easy, will ya? And tell Rachel I said hi."

Max shook his hand. "Will do, man. Stay in touch."

"You got it." He then turned to Masamoto, again offering his hand. "Masa, it was a pleasure working with you."

The lieutenant accepted, giving the hand a firm shake and its owner a warm smile. "Sayonara, Dean. Don't be a stranger; far as I'm concerned, you're one of us."

Dean smiled. "Adios, amigo." Finally, he turned to Hiroshi. "Well, Hiro man, it's goodbye for now," he said with tangible regret.

"Yeah," Hiro mumbled, looking down at his feet. "I, uh… are you going to come back?" he asked timidly. "I mean, if you won't be too…"

Dean cut him off. "Don't worry, man, I'll be back." He reached down, patting the boy on the shoulder. His voice briefly lost all gravity. "C'mon, you know I don't have that much to do. I'd get bored if this kinda' stuff wasn't happening all the time."

Hiroshi looked up at him, smiling, though there were hints of tears in his eyes. Unbidden, a lump began to well up inside Dean's throat. He swallowed, and said, "It was nice to meet you, Hiro. You gave a guy like me more slack than I've earned, and I can't thank you enough."

Hiro said nothing, still watching Dean carefully. "I mean that, you know. Not many people could show that kind of compassion, especially for a guy like me." Dean half-smiled and cleared his throat. "If not for you, I don't think I would've wound up doing the right thing."

The boy nodded. "I think you would have," he said after a beat, quietly and genuinely. "I think you wanted to all along."

Dean hesitated for a moment, unease in his eyes. "Maybe."

Hiroshi smiled at him. "That's because you're still one of the good guys."

"He's right."

Dean turned his head to find Max staring at him, seriousness stitched into his expression. "Dean…" he paused, "you don't need a shield to be a good guy."

The detective laughed softly, warmly, though his eyes, glimmering with hope, gave him away. "Thanks," he murmured under his breath. "Thanks, guys."

The boy watched as Dean turned back to him, and bent down to him with his arms wide, giving him a quick, but firm hug. Hiro reciprocated, wrapping his arms tightly around Dean.

"Thank you, Hiro," he said, patting Hiro on the back. "Take care of yourself. You… and her," he added, almost an afterthought.

"You too," murmured Hiro, lightly clinging to Dean's jacket. "Th-thanks, Dean…" he sniffed, "thanks for everything."

"'s all right." Seeming to remember his locale, he released Hiro and stood up straight. "I'm gonna miss ya, Hiro man. You keep in touch too, right?" He smiled once more, turning back to Masamoto and Max. "All of you, I mean that."

"Sections 1 and 2, now boarding."

Dean bent down and picked up his windbreaker and duffel bag. Giving one last glance towards his friends, he waved and said, "Bye, guys!"

A trio of goodbyes found their way to Dean's ears as he strode towards the gate, ticket in hand. He got in line, grimacing as he felt the lump in his throat persist. Another swallow, this one more painful and uncomfortable than the last, and he knew why.

He stared into the gate, one from which a different man had emerged, seemingly a lifetime ago. He could almost envision that other man coming out, leather jacket and all.

(It began here,) he thought. (Funny how that works out sometimes.)

He handed his ticket to the smiling attendant, who tore it at the perforation and handed back the stub. He stepped towards the gate, his heart starting to pound. His eyes fell shut, and he took a deep breath, clearing his head for one single thought – the one piece of anxiety left on his mind.

A thought of a certain Japanese woman, one he hoped would be here when he returned. He knew a part of him wasn't getting on that plane, a part he'd have to come back to collect.

(Here's looking at you, Miku.)

* * *

Her fingers glided gracefully over the keys, effortlessly typing out the few words she required. The name, a truism, and several lines of empty space. A single cryptic statement, a title, and finally her name. Two minutes of typing, two hours of planning. 

She hit "print", and the printer came to life. The device hastily churned out the sheet of paper, pausing only to brand it with black ink. She picked up the letter, reading it silently:

"Dean

Actions, as they say, speak louder than words.

For your letter; a mystery just for you, detective.

Miku"

Smiling, she picked up a pen and deftly signed the letter. She then set the pen down, and reached for the small black tube. She gave it a twist, causing the hidden, ruby-red lipstick to emerge. Her other hand picked up a nearby hand mirror, and she took great care in applying the lipstick, mischief melding with a vaguely girlish giddiness.

She set aside the tube and mirror, and leaned forward over the letter. Centering herself between the lines of text, she dipped down and pressed her lips to the empty spot of paper.

She sat up, picked up the letter and admired her handiwork: a pair of lips, outlined proudly in red, stood out amidst the black and white.

(Until then, my dear detective,) she thought with a slow smile, reaching for an envelope. (Until then.)

* * *

"We pay for what others call mistakes, and from this we learn of the world. We suffer for what we call sins, and from this we learn of ourselves."  
- Anonymous 


	44. Notes, Acknowledgements, Extras

.Hack: Penance  
Miscellany

I. Comments

II. Acknowledgements

III. Stuff that got cut

IV. One nagging little thing

* * *

I. Comments 

I thought I knew, but I had no idea.

It really began somewhat underwhelming; I hadn't even finished Infection and the idea popped in to do a fic that would run parallel to the events in-game. I'd like to say that I had it planned out from the start, but, as has been acknowledged before, that would be a filthy, filthy lie. I certainly didn't plan on writing what (I think) can fairly be called a fan novel (sans monetary incentive), or at least an epic fanfic. Funny how that works out, innit?

Honestly, there's not a lot else I can say. I wasn't always easy, it certainly wasn't always fun, and I imagine that some of you got tired of waiting for me to finish. But at the end of the day, if I can look back at this and say I told a story that people enjoyed, and that writing it taught me more about writing than I ever could have learned otherwise, then I say without hesitation that it was worth every last minute.

The hardest part, for me, was keeping original characters from dominating the story – that is, keeping the focus on the story itself, instead of any one character. I'm sure it could easily have degenerated into a series of John Woo-style gunfights and people getting blown away by the dozen, with Dean doing dramatic shoot-dodges with dual handguns, effortlessly trumping bad guys and showing up other good guys; this is part of the reason why I went with the idea of expectations, with people who have already seen that movie, read that book, know that cliché.

Dialogue wasn't exactly a cakewalk, either.

So, there you have it. The end of a project two years in the making. Of course, this won't be my last venture into fanfiction, and probably not my last Dot Hack work. Hell, I might even bring the crew back for one last hurrah, although that's definitely a ways off, if it is at all. There is an idea rattling around in my skull for a certain other online game, which all of you can probably guess.

As the saying goes, the words may be mine, but the story is now yours. Carry it with you as long as you like, and thank you for letting me share it.

* * *

II. Acknowledgements 

The review crew. Way, way, WAY too many to name you all, but if you left one, you're one of 'em. You guys rock. That much praise can kill a man, yaknow, but that's okay. You know who you all are, and I salute you.

Gray17, who provided very specific critiques that were quite helpful, and junyortrakr, who was instrumental in changing a scene (that I myself didn't care for) in Relapse. An extra helping of thanks to you both.

My most awesome editor and critique guy, LacanPanother, AKA Shinji. Your comments helped me better some of the later chapters, especially after 35. Your aid in this was invaluable, and the epilogue would not be nearly as good without you. You have my thanks, my friend.

My dear comrades, Jonathan Priest and Goldberry. E-hugs to you both, and you know why. Whatever I did to deserve such friends, I couldn't have asked for better ones. The both of you have been super-extra-cool to me through it all, and more than willing to listen to me ramble about my ideas, half-baked or otherwise. If my baking acumen were up to the task, I would send you both cakes. Chocolate cakes.

Ketsugi and RPGamer, for putting up Heist and Relapse and getting me that extra bit of exposure. Though the fanfic section has since gone by the wayside, I appreciated the votes of confidence just the same. Just wish I could've gotten Penance up, too.

And lastly, and perhaps most obviously, you guys, the readers. Whether you did comment or didn't, spoke with me, knew me, whatever, it doesn't matter; you read through the whole damn thing, and I take my hat off to you, I really do. It ain't exactly light reading, and I want you all to know that it wouldn't mean anything at all if you all hadn't read it. Again and for all, I thank you.

* * *

III. Stuff that got cut, changed etc. 

It was considered for Dean to be framed as part of the conspiracy, and be forced to work with Masamoto on the sly, all while evading police and trailing Felix.

Akira was originally the one to be kidnapped, instead of Hiroshi.

The Liminality characters were not initially to make appearances in the story; they took the place of generic OC insiders in Cyber Connect, whose presence I had a hard time justifying.

Helba was briefly considered to be handicapped in some fashion offline, possibly blind (ala Whistler in the movie Sneakers).

The initial set-up for the encounter at Cyber Connect was much different. Dean encountered Satori and chased him to the roof of CC headquarters, killing him along with two others. Cole proceeded as normally in kidnapping Hiro; Felix, on the other hand, tracked down and attempted to kill Helba, who is shot and nearly killed. The subsequent 'killing' of Aura occured on Helba's own machine.

After replacing the above OCs with Bith and Junichiro, it was considered that one of them would be a conspirator.

Several fight/chase scenes were cut: Rosenberg and his men originally were pursued by police helicopter (piloted by Dean and Masamoto); Dean and Hiroshi were to be ambushed on the ride home from school; Hiro was originally to encounter Felix and company at Dean's apartment, and to evade them (Akira relating a similar tale was also considered).

The Dean/Miku encounter at CC HQ was to take place in Miku's home.

Felix was originally to escape to a nearby parking lot during the final shootout.

Sanjuro and Balmung were to have bigger roles offline. Specifically, they were to meet at the Tech Expo with Orca/Yasuhiko, sharing their own insights on what was going on. It was briefly considered to have Lios meet with one of the three.

There was to be more investigation into Morganna herself, and possibly an encounter with her (with the character knowing who/what she was only in hindsight).

There were to be a few hints that Dean had died offline, with his character trapped online ala Tsukasa.

* * *

IV. One nagging little thing 

The hinges creaked noisily as the mailbox swung open. The dry, comfortably warm air hung heavily around him, disturbed only by an old ceiling fan above. Through a window, the sun cast its gaze long and low over South Pasadena, its reflection glimmering lazily off the nearby Los Angeles skyline.

Dean stuffed his hand inside and pulled out the sizable clump of envelopes and miscellany, and locked the box shut. Removing his keys, he began rifling through the pile. (Bill, bill… junk mail, charity, junk mail… I'm in demand today,) he thought, smirking.

A door clicked and squeaked as it was pushed open. "Hey, Dean."

Cocking his head towards the voice, he spotted a dark-skinned man coming through the entrance; the detective smiled and nodded to him. "What's up, Dom?"

Dom joined Dean by the mailboxes, and began hunting for his own keys. "Same ol'. What's the word?" he asked. "The trial and all?"

"Nothin' yet," Dean muttered, flipping through the rest of his mail. (Junk, junk…) "Starts next week, I leave this Friday."

"Yeah, I remember you told me. Sucks, man, you just got back."

"Tell me about it," Dean grumbled. "Pain in the ass, and then some."

"I hear ya. You still on for poker tonight?"

"Sure, why not," Dean said flatly. "I didn't spend enough in Japan as it is, I could stand to lose a little more."

Dom snickered. "Yeah, yeah." He took out his mail and closed the box, turning back to the elevator. "Aright, see you later, Dean-o."

"Later, Dom." (Bill, junk… damn, they did know I was out of town, right?)

His fingers fell upon the last letter in the box, and stopped in their tracks. His address was handwritten, rather neatly at that, but what marked the letter as unusual was its return address. In an instant, it all came back to him; an email, a reply he had almost forgotten to expect.

Almost.

Pulse racing, he tore open the white envelope and pulled out the letter. His eyes eagerly danced over the text, initially puzzled, ultimately jubilant.

He saw a woman's lips, neatly imprinted in red lipstick against the white paper; a faint blush and a slow smile crept onto his face.

The elevator bell dinged. "Hey, Dom," said Dean, glancing over at his fellow tenant.

"Yeah?"

Dean carefully folded and pocketed the letter, still smiling. "Change in plans. I'm… meeting somebody tonight."

Dom arched an eyebrow at him. "That was quick."

Dean chuckled. "It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time."


End file.
